Cookie #90 - Raisin Biscuits

Number 90.  Woot, woot!  I'm about 25% of the way there. 

These cookies were inspired by a cookie I used to eat at my best childhood friend's house growing up.  Michelle's mom always had these Golden Fruit biscuits on hand.  They weren't super sweet.  Just a soft, flaky biscuit with sweet, chewy raisins in the middle. 
Years later, my mom found a similar cookie in a catalog and ordered some for me.  They were indeed delicious, but like I've mentioned before, often times the memory is greater than the taste. 
These cookies were delicious.  Very scone or tea-biscuit like. 
They were very much loved by my trusty taste tester #2 (my mom) and my mother-in-law (who was visiting this week). 
These cookies are also super easy to make and I can see making them over and over again.  Yum!

A few notes about the recipe:

1. Next time I'd chop the raisins a bit before adding them.  The raisins were a bit big and I think needed to be pared down a bit.  The inspiration biscuits had more of a chopped raisin filling - I don't know why I didn't stick with that. 

2. While I like the technique I used for these (based on a currant cookie I've made before), I think next time I'll do more of a biscuit with a top and bottom crust.  I think it'll work rolling out the one portion of the dough into a large rectangle, cover the raisins and then covering with the other rolled out portion. 

3. Though the recipe I list below states milk, I used heavy cream.  Totally not necessary, but I had it on hand and wanted to use it before it spoiled.

4. The turbinado sugar.  Please don't use regular granulated white sugar.  I know often times you can get away with using just regular granulated sugar for sprinkling on top, but in this case the coarse sugar really adds a nice crunch to a really soft and chewy biscuit.  Regular granulated sugar, while adding the necessary sweetness, would just be lost. 

Raisin Biscuits

1 cup flour
2 tbsp confectioner's sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut in to cubes and cold
2 tbsp milk
1 egg, beaten with 2 tsp cold water
1 cup raisins
2 tbsp turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw)

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, confectioner's sugar, baking powder and salt.  Pulse a few times to combine.  Add butter and pulse until crumbly and the texture of coarse sand. 
Add vanilla and milk and pulse until the mixture forms a ball.
Divide dough in half, wrap with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
On a well floured work surface, roll one portion of dough into a rectangle about 12" long and 1/8" thick.  Brush surface of dough with egg wash and sprinkle half the dough evenly with half of the raisins.  Fold the dough onto itself, sandwiching the raisins inside.  Lightly roll the dough again until about 6" wide and 12" long.  Fold the dough in half lengthwise again and transfer the entire piece to a parchment lined cookie sheet. 
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with 1 tbsp turbinado sugar.  Cut the length of biscuits into 2-3" pieces using a pizza cutter (no need to separate them at this point, just cut them). 
Repeat the process with the other portion of the dough.
Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.