looking for this old raisin cookie

You're welcome! As far as the second recipe goes, I was looking at it again. Do you think the sugar goes into the dry ingredients as well as being sprinkled, or do you think it's just being sprinkled? I would think that it's in the dry ingredients also, but just wondering what you thought?

I was thinking the same thing.. wondered why there was no sugar mixed in with the dry ingredients. Maybe we could use part of the sugar in the dry ingredients, & then sprinkle some over the top too. I don't think these were real sweet but seems to me they should be a little bit sweet

quote:

Originally posted by annpeeples

Speaking of raisins-does anyone one remember the Spanish bar cake from A&P???Loaded with raisins....

Ann, I do now! My Mom bought those a lot. Didn't they have a white icing?

Ashphalt, they still have the white icing on them.. I'm going to the store today & will look for them. If I find them I'll let everyone know where I found them.

I agree. Not too sweet, but a little. I'm thinking instead of sprinkling, I may just add the sugar to the water to be brushed on top. Actually, I'm thinking of using egg white instead. It seems like the ones we loved from sunshine would have been brushed with egg white but I could be wrong.

I remember Spanish bar cake as a spice cake w/ icing A&P or jane parker's/ann page

For the Crawford Garibaldi, I wanted to find out the distributor from which I could find out the local retailer ... so I emailed United Biscuits in the UK, the manufacturer of Crawford's Garibaldi ... here is the response I recieved.

Hello Sonny
Thank you for your e mail.
Unfortunately there are restrictions for distribution to the States. However, the following grey market
Shop on Line
www.Britishdelights.com
www.Britstore.co.uk
www.Britbuys.com
www.britishcornershop.co.uk
www.thelocalshop.com
www.britsworldwide.co.uk
Hope the above helps.

So I guess that answers that (at least for the Garibaldi brand).

Sonny.. Let us know what transpires. I remember those...I remmebered posting a link for you also.

Just curious. Mom used to get them like 30 years ago.
Thanks....

I'll do that roossy90 :-)

After poking around for a few minutes today found a few more things.
Garibaldi is the type of cookie/biscuit, not just a brand.
They are a traditional homemade cookie in the UK for many years. Their nickname with Brits is "squashed flies" (hmmm?)

Here is a British recipe to make the homemade version ...

Garibaldi Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 oz. (50g) chopped currants
2 tbsps. milk
1 oz. (25g) butter or margarine
4 oz. (100g) self-raising flour
pinch of salt
1 oz. (25g) sugar

Cooking Instructions:
Sift all the dry ingredients together into a bowl
Add the milk and the butter or margarine then with a large fork, mix firmly into a smooth dough
Turn onto a well floured board, roll out about an eighth of an inch thick and cut down the center
Spread the chopped currants on half of the dough and cover with the rest
Roll again to press together and cut into triangles
Brush lightly with water and sprinkle with the castor sugar
Place in a pre-heated oven and bake for about 15 minutes at 375F, Gas Mark 5, 190C

(btw: I noticed in other recipes people recommending to chop the currants in a food processor and to add a tiny bit of water and lemon juice to increase the moisture)

There's an oriental supermarket near me called Hong Kong (I believe it's a chain) where I found a cookie called Sultana Biscuits. These are a little crispier than I remember, but almost identical to those Sunshine raisin cookies, also, very inexpensive, something like 1.29 a package.

quote:

Originally posted by BelleReve

There's an oriental supermarket near me called Hong Kong (I believe it's a chain) where I found a cookie called Sultana Biscuits. These are a little crispier than I remember, but almost identical to those Sunshine raisin cookies, also, very inexpensive, something like 1.29 a package.

looks quite similar ... thanx BelleReve!
http://www.cobaltnine.net/dollarstore/images/sultana.jpg

Sonny,
I wonder why there are restrictions on exporting them?
(Going back to their email to you)---

quote:

Originally posted by roossy90


Sonny,
I wonder why there are restrictions on exporting them?
(Going back to their email to you)---

That's a good question roossy. I can't imagine that it's part of some sort of trade dispute ... the UK puts tarifs on US automobile exports so we ban importing Garibaldi Raisin Biscuits.
(On the other hand, little surprises me any more about our government's decisions.)

My guess is that the person who responded to my email was some customer service wonk who was referring to his companies lack of selling them in the States as a "restriction". United Biscuits is an absolutely gigantic multinational syndicate, and that cust svc rep was just a little crumb.

A couple months ago I was trying to find where I could buy Cheese Waffles (a snack food like chips), and so I went to the website of the manufacturer (Wise Foods) and saw that they are not marketed in Michigan at all. The following day I found Wise's Cheese Waffles at the liquor store 3 blocks from my house. Go figure.

I wouldn't necessarily give up on the Garibaldi product ... though the manufacturer is not likely to be much help.

If you are lucky enough to have an ALDI store near you, you are in luck! They currently have a decent approximation of Sunshine Raisin Biscuits called[url='http://aldi.us/us/html/offers/58_4301_ENU_HTML.htm']Raisin Apple Fruit Crisps[/url]. I just ate two of them. Based on memory I'd say these are lighter than the old Sunshines and also a bit crispier. They don't have that egg-wash shine on top either. Still they are quite good.
Based on pictures these seem to resemble the Garibaldi biscuits (which I've never tried) quite closely.

They have a "best by" date of 10/2008. How many should I hoard?

Freeze them, my dear....

I haven't seen these in the dollar stores down here in Florida, but I'll keep looking. There are a few Oriental food stores near here so I'll check those out too. As soon as I find them I'll post where I got them.

Hope you all had a very nice Holiday & wishing you all a very happy & prosporous New Year

Hi everyone.. was wondering if anyone has found these cookies yet? I'm still looking for them but haven't found any yet. If & when I ever find them, I'm going to get a bunch of them & pop them in the freezer. If I could find even 1 package of them, I'd write to the company & see about buying them direct from them.

quote:

Originally posted by sahmwahm

You're welcome! I read that Sunshine was bought by Keebler and so I've contacted Keebler with a request to start making these again. Maybe if enough of us contact them, they'll listen!

Good luck (which I don't actually believe in), as I've already contacted Keeble and was told that since there is not a 'demand' for this biscuits, they will not be bringing them back. My question to them, how do you know there isn't a demand if you won't ask the public? Perhaps if they looked at forums like this one they'd know that there is one. I'll keep trying though, because they were some of the best cookies I'd ever eaten in my life.

The crawford taisin biscuits taste just like the old ones. I didn't read all the responses but you can order them online ay Brittishdelights.com.

Hi everyone. Thought I'd pop in here to see if anyone has found the cookies or spice bar cake yet. I am going to try to make the A&P spice bar cake. I'm going to get a box of spice cake mix & add raisins to it & hopefully recreate the icing that was on the one from the A&P. Will let you know how it turns out. Have a good day all

On another cooking forum, we had a long discussion about "lost food loves" and many remembered the Spanish Bar Cake from the A&P.
That was about the only dessert that my mom did not make herself. My family thinks the following recipe is very close to what we had many years ago. We make it often now, 'cause we still love it.

Spanish Bar

2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 TB cocoa
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. allspice

Add:
1/2 cup oil
2 cups applesauce
2 eggs
1/1/2 cups raisins

Mix the first 8 ingredients together in an electric mixer; mix well. Add next 3 ingredients. Raisins should be added last. Bake at 350 degrees in a 9x13-inch pan for 30-35 minutes (tube pan 40-45 minutes).

Top with glaze:

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1 t. lemon extract
1-2 TB hot milk

Mix all together and put on cake while still warm.

Thanks for the Spanish Bar recipe. I didn't remember it having cocoa in it, but it's been so long since I had it, I probably have forgotten that it was in there.

The cocoa is primarily to give the cake that dark, dark brown color - you don't really taste the cocoa. My forum friends and I tried several recipes online for the Spanish Bar and this recipe was the closest to what we remembered. I've decided I'm going to make it for our Thanksgiving meal.

i am so excited that people remember this cookie.  it was simply my favorite cookie as a child and i am dying to make them myself.  i am searching for a recipe.