A Cravin' For the Raisin: 5 Reasons to Never Go Without 'Em!
By Alice Osborne
Aunt Annie used to give us our own little boxes of raisins for a snack to hold us over until dinner was ready. She loved raisins and I developed a life-long love for them as well. I like them so much I even top my vanilla ice cream with them. And over the years I've saved all sorts of information about raisins, along with splendid raisin-oriented recipes.
One such piece of information I stored was an article I found on the Internet in 2007 from Yahoo's Associated Content. It validated what I just knew in my heart was true, so I had to save it. It listed 5 reasons why we should eat raisins regularly.
1: Raisins are full of antioxidants and aggressively protect free radical damage. If our bodies don't get enough antioxidants, we can start to see the damage (called pre-aging). And of course, antioxidants have also been linked to cancer prevention.
2: Many parents give their children raisins before sports games. That is because raisins contain many B vitamins known for boosting energy. I personally eat raisins for this very reason. While raisins are also high in calories, their nutrient density still makes them a top snack choice - moderation would be the key here, though.
3: Raisins have been the object of phytonutrient research primarily for their unique phenol content, and these delicious dried grapes are also one of the top sources of the trace mineral, boron, in the U.S. diet.
4: Raisins are also great source of fiber, which is important for digestive regularity. 'Nough said on that one?
5: And don't let the sticky sweetness of the raisin fool you. Raisins do not cause cavities and gum disease, but rather they actually promote oral health. This is because of the oleanolic acid found in them. This acid is very effective in killing the bacteria that cause cavities and periodontal dental disease. Of course, as with all eating (no matter what's been eaten), brushing after each meal is the smart thing to do. But I found this last piece of news especially encouraging because I'd heard over and over that eating raisins causes cavities. Bologna!
Raisins that are fresh and have been stored properly will require no special attention prior to eating or using in a recipe. To restore dried out raisins before adding them to a recipe, place them in a bowl covered with a little hot water for a few minutes. You can use the nutrient-infused liquid in the recipe.
And to add to their outstanding resume, raisins are incredibly versatile. They go so well with so many things and have so many uses. Besides being a standard ingredient in many cookies, they show up in carrot salad and other salads, in tapioca pudding, quick breads, muffins, and spice cake. And as the picture shows, they are part of a favorite kids' snack, Ants on a Log. Life is good.
Now that you know the truth of this amazing food, if you're a raisin-lover like me, you can continue the relationship worry free. And here's Aunt Annie's Raisin Filled Cookie recipe that's been a favorite in our family forever. These are terrific and really deserve a fancier name - maybe Nuggets of Goodness or something...
Aunt Annie's Raisin-Filled Cookies
1 C butter, softened
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder (I always recommend Rumford's - it's aluminum free)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
4 C flour
Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs; beat well. Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Form to logs or cookie dough rolls; cover in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
Raisin Filling 1 1/2 to 2 C chopped raisins 1 C water 2 C sugar 3 Tbsp cornstarch
Cook on low heat until thickened. Let cool while slicing chilled dough into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Place single rounds on cookie sheet. Put 1 tsp raisin filling on each round, then top each with another cookie round. When baking, the cookies tend to seal themselves. However, Aunt Annie liked to crimp all around with fork tines. This is enough filling for 3 batches (12 cookies per batch) of cookies. Refrigerate any filling and dough left over.
