Rummy Raisin Cookies (Second Place)

Makes 24 Rum raisin filling:

1 cup coarsely chopped raisins (measured after chopping)

1⁄2 cup spiced rum

1⁄4 teaspoon rum extract

1⁄2 cup water

1⁄4 cup packed brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup chopped pecans

1 tablespoon canola oil

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 cup packed brown sugar

1⁄2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract Cookie base: 1⁄4 cup (1⁄2 stick) butter, cut into chunks

3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

⁄2 cup flour 1

1⁄4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

1/8 cup crushed pretzels 1⁄4 cup (1⁄2 stick) butter, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon rum extract

1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 to 2 tablespoons milk or heavy whipping cream Make filling: In a small saucepan, combine raisins, rum, rum extract and water. Bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, salt and cornstarch.

After the 5 minutes, quickly stir brown sugar mixture into saucepan, stirring vigorously until all cornstarch dissolves. Return to a gentle boil and boil 3 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted and mixed well. Make topping: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix pecans, oil and salt. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven 12 minutes. Cool pecans completely

Mix cooled pecans with brown sugar, cream and vanilla.

Mix and bake cookie base: Preheat oven again to 350

degrees.

In a bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add flour, oats and pretzels. Beat until well-incorporated. Mixture will be crumbly.

Coat cavities of 24-count mini muffin pan with vegetable oil spray.

Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon mixture into each cavity, pressing dough firmly into bottom only.

Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Leave oven on.

Assembly: Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon raisin mixture over each cookie crust. Spread to edges of cavity to cover cookie completely. Spoon 1 teaspoon of pecan mixture over raisin layer. Bake 12 minutes. Mixture will bubble over a bit; while warm, you can use a knife to move caramel back to top of cookie.

Cool cookie completely in muffin pan. Run knife around edge to remove cooled cookies.

Make buttercream: In a bowl, beat butter, salt and powdered sugar until creamy. Add rum and vanilla and continue to beat until ingredients are well-mixed. Add milk or cream 1 tablespoon at a time to desired consistency.

Decorate each cookie with a drizzle of buttercream.

These pretty little cups are kind of like a two-bite sour cream raisin pie. With rum. Another judge said they have the “essence of mincemeat.” The Sweet ’n’ Salty category winner was created by Becky Zapf of Allenton.