The raisin and walnut cookies are a homely, traditional recipe that’s quick to prepare and perfect for breakfast or as a little dessert after a meal during the Christmas holidays.
They’re very easy to make and the result will be amazing!
The raisin and walnut cookies will be pleasantly crumbly and wonderfully aromatic thanks to the intense orange flavor; you’ll notice the crunch of the walnuts and the softness of the raisins.
The secret to these cookies is marinating the walnuts and raisins in the liqueur and orange juice with zest a few hours beforehand; this will make the cookies very fragrant and tasty—I guarantee they’re addictive!
- Portions: 16 pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp cup + tbsp granulated sugar (about 120 g)
- 2 eggs
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (about 100 g)
- 1 sachet (about 4 tsp) baking powder
- to taste orange extract (or orange essence)
- 1 1/4 cups walnut halves, roughly chopped (about 150 g)
- 2/3 cup seedless raisins (about 100 g)
- 2 tbsp Strega liqueur (or another sweet liqueur)
- juice and zest of 1 orange
Tools
- Hand mixer
Steps
As mentioned above, before preparing the cookies we need to marinate the walnuts and raisins.
First, rinse the raisins with warm water and let them drain in a colander.
Chop the walnut halves into small pieces and combine them with the previously rinsed raisins.
Add the liqueur and the orange juice with the zest from one orange to the two ingredients, mix everything and let them marinate for at least 3 hours.
After the resting time, start preparing the dough by beating the eggs with the sugar using the beaters.
Continue by adding the softened butter.
Add the sifted flour and baking powder little by little, and a little orange extract to flavor the dough.
When the dough becomes firm, continue mixing with a spatula.
Add the prepared walnuts and raisins to the dough.
Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and portion the dough into small pieces, forming walnut-sized balls.
Gently flatten each ball slightly.
Bake at 338°F (170°C) for about 30 minutes.
Raisin and walnut cookies make a perfect gift for the holidays: packaged in a clear bag with a pretty Christmas decoration, they’re a sweet, appreciated gesture.
