Rum and raisin pillows

There are movies I want to watch again right after they end – they’re so good I feel like staying in the movie theater, waiting for the next session, and the other after that.
It doesn’t happen much, but I felt that way last Saturday and would’ve probably bought another ticket for “500 Days of Summer” hadn’t my sister been with me. :)

I’m gonna be honest with you: I don’t like raisins. But these cookies were so cute I had to make them anyway – they’re pillows, after all. :)
After trying them I felt like making other recipes with raisins – immediately. And that doesn’t happen much, either. :D

Rum and raisin pillows
from Donna Hay magazine

200g unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup + ½ tablespoon (73g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
½ cup (120ml) maple syrup
3 ¼ cups (455g) self rising flour

Rum and raisin filling:
1 1/3 cups (205g) raisins
¼ cup (60ml) dark rum – I used white rum
1 tablespoon caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Make the rum filling: place the raisins, rum and sugar in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 8-10 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Add the maple syrup and flour and beat in slow speed until just combined. Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll out the dough between two sheets of non-stick baking paper* to 5mm thick. Cut eighteen 12x5cm (5x2in) rectangles from the dough. Place 2 teaspoons of the rum and raisin filling in the center of each rectangle and fold to enclose – carefully not to tear the dough; I removed the excess rum from the filling because I thought the liquid might soften the dough.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Place the pillows onto prepared baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden – mine needed 18 minutes.
Let cool in the sheets.

* can’t find non-stick baking paper here, so I used lightly floured regular baking paper

Makes 18 – I halved the recipe and still got 16