Rum-Raisin Shortbread

Instructions

1. Bring the raisins and rum to a boil in a small saucepan over moderate heat. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for several hours or overnight. When ready to bake the cookies drain the raisins in a strainer set over a small bowl; use any leftover rum for something else.
2. Sift together the sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter until it is very soft. Add the sugar and beat well until completely smooth. On low speed gradually add the sifted dry ingredients, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula and beating until smooth.
4. Stir in the prepared raisins. Transfer the dough to a large piece of wax paper or aluminum foil, wrap, flatten slightly, and refrigerate for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Do not freeze the dough or it will become too firm to roll.
5. When ready to bake the cookies adjust two racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat to 375 degrees F.
6. Place the dough on lightly floured pastry cloth and turn it over to flour all sides lightly. With a floured rolling pin roll the dough gently only until it is 1/2-inch thick, no thinner!
7. Use a plain round cookie cutter about 2 1/2-inches in diameter. Dip the cutter in flour before cutting each cookie and cut them as close to each other as possible. When cutting a cookie press the cutter very firmly into the dough and rotate it slightly in order to cut through the raisins. Press the scraps together, chill them, and reroll. Place the cookies 1 to 2 inches apart on unbuttered cookie sheets.
8. Bake the cookies for 20 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. Reverse the sheets top to bottom and front to back to insure even browning. With a wide metal spatula transfer the cookies to racks to cool.
9. Since these are fragile the author likes to wrap them individually in clear cellophane. However you store them-handle with care.