Recipe: Peek-A-Boo Fruit Cookies with Raisin-Spice, Date-Nut, or Mincemeat with Orange Filling

PEEK-A-BOO FRUIT COOKIES

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour, sifted
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
Filling (recipes follow)

Cream butter or margarine and sugar together. Add egg and vanilla and beat well.

Sift flour and baking powder together and add with the milk. Divide dough into 4 parts and wrap each part in waxed paper. Chill thoroughly.

WHEN READY TO BAKE:
Work with 1 part of the dough at a time, leaving the other parts in the refrigerator.

Roll out each part l/8-inch thick on a well floured pastry cloth or board. Cut out rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cutter. (A doughnut cutter makes an attractive fruit-filled cookie. If the top round of dough has the hole cut out, the filling shows through.) Any leftover should be chilled again before re-rolling.

Place half rounds on cookie sheet. Mound 2 teaspoons of filling (choice) on top of each round. Cover with another pressing edges together. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.

Bake in a moderate oven (375 degrees F.) for 15 minutes.

CHOOSE A FILLING:

RAISIN-SPICE FILLING

2 cups raisins
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine ingredients in saucepan. Cook until thick. Cool.

DATE-NUT FILLING

2 cups finely cut dates
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Combine all ingredients except nuts in a saucepan. Cook until thick. Add nuts. Cool.

MINCEMEAT WITH ORANGE FILLING

2 cups prepared mincemeat
2 tablespoons orange rind

Combine ingredients.

Makes 3 dozen cookies
From: Recipelink.com
Source: Recipe booklet: It's Worth Eating, Iowa-Illinois Gas and Electric Company, not dated