Old and young alike love these big, moist cookies, they are good "keepers". They stay soft for days if properly stored in an air-tight container. I think the buttermilk is the key ingredient.
INGREDIENTS (for 2 servings):
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup raisins
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Beat together white and brown sugars, butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and lemon extract to mix well.
Sift together nutmeg, flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt and soda. Add alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture.
Drop tablespoonfuls of dough 2 1/2 inches apart onto greased baking sheet. With the back of the spoon, spread round and round making the outer edge of the cookies a little thicker than the center. Sprinkle generously with the reserved white sugar and place a fat raisin in the center of each cookie.
Bake about 10 minutes. For softer cookies, bake in hot oven (425 degrees F (220 degrees C)) for about 8 minutes or until no indentation remains when you touch the center of the cookie with your fingertip. Remove cookies and cool on racks.