Poor Man’s Cookies
These poor man’s cookies are an old family recipe – spiced bar cookies with plump raisins and chopped walnuts.
These poor man’s cookies (actually bar cookies!) is a recipe that my great Aunt has been making for as long as I can remember. It’s her “signature dish”. Well, one of a few. She also makes a killer Jello that has baby food in it (secret ingredient!) and a mean broccoli casserole.
As you can see, this is not a cookie, but rather cookie bars! I always wondered about the name and the recipe’s origin, and then when going through a ton of my grandma’s old recipes, I found a yellowed newspaper clipping of a recipe for Poorman’s Cookies, which was nearly identical to my aunt’s, save for a few quantity changes. There wasn’t an explanation in the clipping about the origin of the recipe, so I am taking this for what it is – a beloved old-fashioned recipe.
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The preparation of this cake starts with boiling the water, raisins and shortening for 20 minutes. Doing this results in raisins that are nice and plump, and water and shortening that have boiled down to a syrup. When this mixture is first added to the dry ingredients the batter will have the consistency of paste, but don’t worry, once the eggs are added the batter takes a familiar, cookie dough-type texture.
We used to eat these in true bar form – on Sundays when my aunt would make these, everyone would wander in and out of the kitchen, poor man’s cookie in hand. You could definitely cut larger pieces and serve them with a fork as a simple piece of cake. I often forget what a recipe FEELS like until I smell it after years of going without. When I took these out of the oven last week, I was overcome with the smell of my aunt’s kitchen and, with it, Sunday dinners at my grandma’s house.
I love recipes that make you feel as cozy as your favorite fleece blanket, and these poor man’s cookies definitely fit the bill. I need to make them more regularly!
Six years ago: Lemon Burst Cookies
Poor Man's Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 2¼ cups (562.5 ml) water
- 1½ cups (217.5 g) raisins
- 8 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups (300 g) sugar
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking soda
- ¾ teaspoons (0.75 teaspoons) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) cloves
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- ½ cup (58.5 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
For the Glaze:
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons warm water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking pan.
- Combine water, raisins, and shortening in a medium saucepan. Boil over medium heat, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, remove the lid, and let cool for 10 minutes.
- While the raisin mixture is boiling, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a large bowl.
- Pour the slightly cooled raisin mixture over the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until mostly combined and moistened (the batter at this point will have the consistency of a paste). Add the beaten eggs and again stir with a spoon, until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chopped walnuts.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until deeply browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with some moist crumbs attached.
- While the cookies are baking, prepare the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and warm water in a small bowl. As soon as you take the pan out of the oven, drizzle the glaze over the cookies and quickly spread into an even layer.
- Cool to room temperature before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published June 15, 2009.
These taste a lot like Hermit Cookies……You use molasses in Hermit cookies….so tasty! Hermits are another old time recipe…..
Thank you thank you for “publishing” this recipe!! Our family of six also made it many times over the years. The only differences from the recipe is we put it in a jelly roll pan and also waited for them to cool before icing them – but either way they are excellent!!
My grandma’s recipe was similar but for actual cookies. Ingredient quantities were larger and batter was spread on 2 cookie sheets. They are a family favorite. At Christmas time Grandma sprinkled green or red colored coconut on top of the glaze before cutting into squares.
Could I use cranberries instead of raisins? I cannot see the difference, but my husband will not eat raisins! These look yummy!
Sure!
This recipe does not make bars. It makes spice cake. It even says it in the web address! Pay no attention to the picture, which is what I wanted to make. You will end up with a dark spice cake that is not chunky on top. Disappointed.
This “cookie” is actually a cake! I was expecting bar cookies, but it was obvious there is WAY too much liquid.
I cooked them 30 minutes, and the center was not cooked at all. Put it back in for another 15 minutes, but still underdogs. :-(
Is the amount of liquid correct?
Next time I make these, I’ll use only 3/4 cup of water and hope I get a bar cookie! The “cake” edges were very tasty and what I was expecting.
I have made this cake many times and everyone just loves it, as do I! The only change I make is I make a cream cheese frosting which takes it over the top!!
Wasn’t this recipe originally listed as Old Fashioned Spice Cake?
Yes, but I decided to give it the name my aunt always used for it.
I made these exactly as called for in this recipe and they turned out wonderful. I did have to make 1/2 more glaze for the top but otherwise followed to a tee. I took them to an office luncheon and they were very well received. Mine looked as pretty as the picture up above. Wish I’d taken a picture. I will make these again.
My grandma always made a poor man’s cake that was similar but not glazed every holiday. She baked the layers in round cake pans and stacked them like a layer cake with no frosting. It was so good and I always remember her cracking walnuts to add to the cake. Whenever you would leave her house she would wrap a small slice in plastic wrap and send it home in a paper lunch bag for breakfast the next day. What I wouldn’t give to have one of those sweetly wrapped slices for tomorrow’s breakfast.
Such a sweet story.
Love reading old recipes and trying them out and l will try this one soon
Would you be kind enough to put up the recipe that is in the newspaper clipping so l can try that one as well please
Hi Michelle, I no longer have it, but I believe my mom does. I’ll see if she can dig it up!
I google everything! So I googled these cookies and found the below info. I love the history of food! Thanks Michelle for posting this recipe!
“The cookies came from a 1930 radio program called Jake and Lena. The mother of the submitter changed to the name to Poor Man’s cookies because they contained no eggs, milk or nuts. Despite the name, the cookies are rich in taste!”
Oh my gosh! I haven’t thought about this recipe in years!
I remember the first time I tried this cake….a sweet elderly neighbor
offered me a piece when I was visiting one day. She was kind enough to
give me her recipe and I’ve shared it with others many times since then.
You’ve reminded me that I need to make it again, using this
recipe. Thanks for bringing back a sweet memory!
My Aunt used to make this all the time and top it with a caramel icing but she called it Boiled Raisin Cake – Thanks for the memories – how we loved this cake growing up. I may have to hunt for her recipe and ask my mom about it. Again thanks