• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
My Cookie Journey
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipe Index
    • Fall
    • Holiday
    • Cheesecake Bites
    • Chocolate
    • Fillings and Jams
    • Gluten-Free
    • Kid-Friendly
    • No Nuts
    • No-Eggs
    • Nuts
    • Shortbread
    • Spring
    • St Patrick's Day
    • Summer
    • Valentines Day Cookies
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About Me
    • Recipe Index
      • Fall
      • Holiday
      • Cheesecake Bites
      • Chocolate
      • Fillings and Jams
      • Gluten-Free
      • Kid-Friendly
      • No Nuts
      • No-Eggs
      • Nuts
      • Shortbread
      • Spring
      • St Patrick's Day
      • Summer
      • Valentines Day Cookies
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Cookies

    Welcome 2022 With New Year's Eve Cookies

    Published: Dec 25, 2021 · Modified On: Jun 21, 2023 by Barbara · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    So I researched traditions of foods eaten on New Year's eve that bring luck for the new year. Most cultures have food served on New Year's Day, but I was looking for New Year's eve. I wanted inspiration for my cookies this week and thought this was a great starting point.

    Rum Raisin With Orange Filled Cookies

    Rum Raisin with Orange filled Cookies on a with dish and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

    I came across the Spanish tradition of 12 Grapes, where you eat one grape at each stroke at midnight on December 31st. This tradition that started in Spain has spread to other cultures as well. For example, Portugal has adapted raisins instead of grapes mainly because they are easier to eat.

    The Philippines have a tradition of eating round fruit on New Year's Eve. Oranges are one of the fruits in the round fruit group. I am starting to see a cookie beginning to evolve.

    Ingredients for Raisin Filling and Cookie Dough

    Rum Raisin with Orange filled Cookie's ingredients.

    Rum Raisin Filling

    • 1 pound Raisins
    • 1 Orange
    • ¾ cup Sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
    • 2 Tablespoons Corn starch
    • 1 cup Water
    • 1 teaspoon Rum Extract

    Cookie Dough

    • 1 cup Butter unsalted 
    • 6 ounces Cream cheese 
    • 2-½ cups All-purpose flour

    Instructions for Rum Raisin with Orange Cookies

    I make the rum raisin filling and the cookie dough the day before; the flavors seem to infuse into the raisins, and the cookie dough seems easier to work with as far as rolling out the dough.

    Making the Raisin Filling

    The first thing is to zest and juice an orange. When zesting, you only want to go over the same spot no more than two times. The next layer down is called the white pith. While you can get a slight bitterness from the top layer of the orange or any citrus, the white part of the fruit contains most of the bitterness.

    Juice the orange and add it to a measuring cup; you want to add water to the juice to have one cup combined of juice and water. You will not lose flavor if your orange does not produce much juice. I got ¼ cup of orange juice and added ¾ cup water to get the 1 cup total.

    Zesting an Orange into a white bowl.

    Add the water/orange juice combo, orange zest, sugar, cinnamon, and corn starch, and stir in a saucepan. Once combined, add the raisins and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring to a full boil and reduce the liquid to a syrup consistency. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the rum extract.

    The flavor seems to enhance if you make it the day before and store it in the refrigerator overnight. I do take out the raisin filling and stir it once in a while. It will thicken and help keep it from running out of the cookie when assembling.

    Cooking the raisin filling for the cookies with raisins, orange juice and zest along with rum extract.
    Raisin filling finished cooking, with thickened juice.

    Making the Cookie Dough

    Cream the butter and cream cheese together until blended. Gradually add the flour and mix for a minute. Take the mixture out of the mixer bowl and onto a pastry mat or counter. Don't worry if some of the flour has not come together; knead it and form a ball. Once the dough has come together, flatten the ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

    Flat oval cookie dough wrapped in plastic and ready for the refrigerator.

    Assembling the Cookies

    I cut the flattened disk of cookie dough that came out of the refrigerator into quarters to make it more manageable. Roll out one of the quarters to 1/16-inch and cut as many circles as possible using a 4" round cookie or biscuit cutter. If you use a smaller cookie cutter, you will have to adjust the amount of filling you add.

    Quarter cookie dough disk and bowl of the rum raisin filling with rolling pin.
    6 4-inch cookie dough circles cut out on pastry sheet.

    Putting the cut-out dough circle on a parchment-lined sheet pan, add about a teaspoon of the raisin mixture onto half of the dough circle. Sealing the edges is where the fork-stirred egg white comes into play. Brush the egg white around the edge and fold the dough over the raisin filling.

    A 4-inch round cutout of cookie dough on parchment paper.
    Cookie dough filled with raisin filling on half of the 4-inch cut out cookie dough circle and brushing on egg wash to seal.

    Finger press the edges to seal the cookie. I take a fork and go around the edges to ensure the cookie will not open during baking. Make a small hole in the top for steam to escape. I only assembled six cookies on a cookie sheet to give myself room to work.

    Fold over half of the 4-inch cookie dough over the raisin filling and press down edges with fingers.
    Fork seal the half-moon shaped cookie.

    Bake at 350° for 13-15 minutes. You want them to brown slightly on the edges and the bottom. Move them to a cooling rack once out of the oven. I added a little powdered sugar to the tops after they had cooled.

    Storage

    These cookies do not need to be refrigerated or sealed in a tight container. Instead, keep them in a loose-fitting lid for 5 to 7 days. My batches are usually gone by the fourth day.

    Here Are Few Other Cookies

    • A stack of five shortbread cookies with jam and one leaning against the stack.
      Shortbread Cookies with Jam
    • Mexican chocolate Crinkle Cookies laying on a plate with the top cookie split in half to see the rich chocolate inside.
      Mexican Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
    • Front view of an Old Fashion Oatmeal Scotchie Cookie with a stack of the cookies behind it.
      Old Fashion Oatmeal Scotchie Cookies
    • Five Applesauce and Walnut cookies on a wooden board with icing and 3 chopped walnuts on top of the icing.
      Applesauce and Walnut Cookies

    Recipe

    Rum Raisin with Orange filled Cookies on a with dish and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

    Rum Raisin with Orange Filled Cookies

    Barbara Hall
    These cookies are filled with raisins and the faint taste of rum. There is also the perfect amount of orange to please everyone. Wishing everyone a Merry Merry New Year!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hour hr
    Total Bake Time 1 hour hr
    Chill 1 day d
    Total Time 1 day d 2 hours hrs
    Course Cookies
    Cuisine American
    Servings 32 cookies
    Calories 148 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    Rum Raisin Filling

    • 1 pound (453.59 g) Raisins
    • ¾ cup (150 g) Sugar white
    • 1 (1) Orange (zest and juice)
    • 1 cup (236 g) Water (juice from the orange + water)
    • ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Ground cinnamon
    • 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Corn starch
    • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Rum Extract

    Cookie Dough

    • 1 cup (227 g) Butter unsalted 2 sticks room temperature
    • 6 ounces (170.1 g) Cream cheese room temperature
    • 2-½ cups (125 g) All-purpose flour

    Instructions
     

    Rum Raisin Filling

    • Zest and juice one orange. Take the juice and add it to a measuring cup. Add enough water with the orange juice to equal 1 cup and add that to a saucepan.
    • Add the sugar to the water/juice and stir to get the sugar wet. Next, add the orange zest, cinnamon, corn starch, raisins, and stir to combine. Turn your stove to a medium-high setting and stir off and on until the liquid comes to a boil. Next, turn the heat down to a medium setting and stir until the liquid thickens. You should be able to pull a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan, and the liquid does not rush to fill in the bottom.
    • Take the pan off the heat and stir in the rum extract. Let the raisin mixture cool for 10 minutes, then move it to a container with a sealed lid and move the raisin mixture to the refrigerator. I make this the day before to allow the raisins to absorb the rum and orange flavors.

    Cookie Dough

    • Cream the butter and cream cheese together for about 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add the flour until incorporated. Place the cookie dough on a pastry mat or hard counter and knead the cookie dough to ensure all the flour is mixed into the dough. Flatten to a round disk shape and wrap in plastic wrap. Put into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. I mixed my cookie dough the day before and left it in the fridge overnight.

    Assemble the Cookies

    • Take the disk out of the fridge, and I cut it into quarters to make it manageable. Next, roll out one of the quarters to 1/16" on a lightly floured pastry mat or flat surface. Then, using a 4" round cookie cutter, cut out as many circles as possible. I got six and added them to a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
    • I used a teaspoon to add the raisin filling to only half of the cookie dough circle. Next, brush on the slightly beaten egg white around the edge and fold the other half of the circle over the filling. Now, press with your fingers around the rim to seal. Next, I take the fork's prongs and go around the edge to ensure no filling can spill out. Finally, poke a small hole in the top to let steam escape.
    • Bake at 350° for 13-15 minutes. You want the edges and bottoms to start to turn a light brown. Move them to a cooling rack. After they cool, you can sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar. Happy New Year!

    NUTRITION DISCLAIMER

    I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 148kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 22mgPotassium: 137mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 258IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword filled raisin cookies, raisin cookies recipe, raisin filled cookies, rum raisin, rum raisin cookies
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Cookies

    • Hazelnut Pumpkin Orange Cookies closeup on a plate and dusted with powdered sugar.
      Hazelnut Pumpkin Orange Cookies
    • Closeup of a Honey Fig and Walnut cookie. Lots of figs and walnuts.
      Honey Fig and Walnut Cookies
    • Close up of an Apple Pie A La Mode cookie fron the front side.
      Apple Pie A la Mode Cookies
    • A dish of Cherry Caramel Sea Salt Cookies.
      Cherry Caramel Sea Salt Cookies

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Heidi Nuttall

      July 18, 2022 at 1:10 pm

      This recipe looks so good but you haven’t included the amount of sugar on your actual recipe for the raisin filling.

      Reply
      • Barbara

        July 18, 2022 at 3:33 pm

        Hi Heidi, You were so right sugar just did not make it into the recipe. lol Thank you! I have added it.

        Reply
      • Randy

        June 03, 2023 at 8:19 pm

        How long should I let the raisin mix set if I don't want to wait until the next day to make the cookies?

        Reply
        • Barbara

          June 03, 2023 at 8:52 pm

          Hi Randy, you need the raisin mix to cool down at least before you can use it. If you can do 1 or 2 hours in the fridge, that might be enough time for the raisin mixture to meld flavors and thicken. I would taste a little of the mixture and see if it has the flavor you are looking for. As it cools, it will thicken which you need, or it will run out of the cookie when you bake it. Let me know how it turns out. These are wonderful-tasting cookies I hope you enjoy them. - Barbara

          Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Barb the owner of my cookie journey head shot.

    Hi! My name is Barbara Hall. I am a retired IT professional who wants my next career to be fun. What better way than by sharing cookie recipes that I make in my kitchen, taking photos, and showing you the results? My goal is to provide cookie recipes you can make at home that look great and taste fantastic!

    More about me →

    Sign-up

    Yes, I want free cookie recipes...

    Fall Cookies!

    Fall cranberry orange shortbread

    What's popular...

    • Stacks of PA Dutch Sand Tarts which are round with cinnamon sugar and a pecan half on top.
      Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tart Cookies
    • Second single closeup of a traditional Sicilian Almond Cookies.
      Traditional Sicilian (traditional Italian) Almond Cookies
    • Stack of Cardamom Orange shortbread cookies with slices of orange skin.
      Cardamom Orange Shortbread Cookies
    • Single Bourbon Maple Syrup with bacon cookie on parchment paper.
      Bourbon Maple Syrup with Bacon Cookies
    • A stack of Cherries Orange pistachios cookie on a wooden cutting board with nuts, cherries around the base.
      Cherry Orange with Pistachio Cookies
    • Oatmeal cream filled cookies in a stack of five on a white plate.
      Oatmeal Cream Filled Cookies

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Sign Up! for free cookie recipes
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 My Cookie Journey