Why You Always Want RAISINS On Hand!
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 about 14 years ago. It validated what I just knew in my heart was true, so I had to save it. It listed five reasons why we should eat raisins regularly and made a solid case for why you always want to have raisins on hand.
ONE: Raisins are full of antioxidants and aggressively protect free radical damage. If our bodies don’t get enough antioxidants, we experience overt damage called pre-aging. And of course, antioxidants have also been linked to cancer and other disease prevention.
TWO: Many parents give their children raisins before athletic practice and games. Smart move, because raisins contain a load of B vitamins (known as effective energy boosters). 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.
THREE: Raisins have been the object of phytonutrient research primarily for their unique phenol content. And in the American diet, these delicious dried grapes are also one of the top sources of the trace mineral, boron.
FOUR: Raisins are also great source of fiber, which is important for digestive regularity. ‘Nough said on that one?
FIVE: 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 they contain. 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. Poppycock!
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 and other salads, in tapioca pudding, quick breads, muffins, spice cake, granolas, and energy bars. And as the picture shows, they are part of a favorite kids’ snack, Ants on a Log.
Now that you know the facts about 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…
1 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder (Rumford’s—it’s aluminum free)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups flour
FILLING
1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped raisins
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Directions:
Add Recipe to Cook'n
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One such piece of information I stored was an article I found on the Internet about 14 years ago. It validated what I just knew in my heart was true, so I had to save it. It listed five reasons why we should eat raisins regularly and made a solid case for why you always want to have raisins on hand.
ONE: Raisins are full of antioxidants and aggressively protect free radical damage. If our bodies don’t get enough antioxidants, we experience overt damage called pre-aging. And of course, antioxidants have also been linked to cancer and other disease prevention.
TWO: Many parents give their children raisins before athletic practice and games. Smart move, because raisins contain a load of B vitamins (known as effective energy boosters). 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.
THREE: Raisins have been the object of phytonutrient research primarily for their unique phenol content. And in the American diet, these delicious dried grapes are also one of the top sources of the trace mineral, boron.
FOUR: Raisins are also great source of fiber, which is important for digestive regularity. ‘Nough said on that one?
FIVE: 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 they contain. 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. Poppycock!
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 and other salads, in tapioca pudding, quick breads, muffins, spice cake, granolas, and energy bars. And as the picture shows, they are part of a favorite kids’ snack, Ants on a Log.
Now that you know the facts about 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
Ingredients:
1 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder (Rumford’s—it’s aluminum free)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups flour
FILLING
1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped raisins
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Directions:
COOKIE DOUGH
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.
FILLING
Cook on low heat until thickened. Let cool while slicing chilled dough into ¼-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.
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.
FILLING
Cook on low heat until thickened. Let cool while slicing chilled dough into ¼-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.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Sources:
- www.visualsonline.cancer.gov
- www.news8000.com
- www.indianexpress.com
- www.bigoven.com
- www.gfjules.com
Alice Osborne
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
