Chocolate Spice Cookies

These are my grandmother's Christmas cookies. These look as good as they taste. Once cookies have cooled ice with a simple confectioners sugar icing.

• Calories: 87 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ cup shortening
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
• ½ tablespoon baking soda
• ½ cup raisins, soaked in water and drained

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and shortening, add the buttermilk, and mix until creamy. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, cloves and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Then stir in the soaked raisins and pecans. By the time you are this far along, you may find it easier to mix with your hands.

Step 3

Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place them on the cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Watch carefully as the bottoms tend to burn easily.