Mrs. Jones Cookies

This is a depression-era bar cookie. My mother learned it from the wife of my father's first boss. It is a favorite of mine. The sweetness of the bar and the tartness of the icing balance one another just right. Don't substitute butter or margerine for the Crisco. It won't work. And I just put down a random amount of powered sugar in the recipe for the icing. Use more or less, as you want and depending on the size of your lemon, so it is easy to spread. My handwritten recipe specifies seedless raisins. Imagine: you used to be able to buy raisins with seeds.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 24
• Yields: 1 pan

Ingredients

• 1  cup raisins
• 1  cup water, plus a tad more
• 1⁄2 cup  Crisco
• 1  cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon clove
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  egg
• 1 3⁄4 cups flour
• 1  lemon
• 1  cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. Stew the raisins in the water while getting out the other ingredients.
2. When the raisins are soft, turn off the heat and add the vegetable shortening.
3. Let it cool just a bit and add rest of the ingredients.
4. Beat until smooth.
5. Pour into a 9"x13" pan and bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
6. Frost when cool or warm, either way works. To make the icing:
7. Grate the rind of the lemon.
8. Juice the lemon.
9. To these two ingredients, add enough confectioners (powdered) sugar to spread easily.