I am so excited about a recent discovery! Since I seldom use sugar of any sort, I wanted to come up with a replacement that could be used in baking. My search for a new sweetener has kept me awake at night. I knew that raisins, dates and figs are sometimes used in recipes for sugar substitutes. But were they sweet enough to be called a true sugar substitute? I tried baking with pureed figs and they just didn’t cut the mustard. As with most things, if I need to learn more about a topic, I begin by doing a google search. What I discovered was that raisins soaked in water become plumper and juicier. What about the water? The water is apparently discarded with no further use. So I began to wonder about soaking raisins in milk. Yes, I did find that raisins are sometimes soaked in milk but the milk also appeared to be discarded afterwards. My search ended and I turned to my Fit Fabulous Friends on Facebook to ask if anyone had ever tried soaking raisins in milk. I’d like to thank Brandi who told me it can be used as a substitute for Sweetened Condensed Milk. Since I was already soaking raisins in milk, they were ready for my next experiment the following morning. This little experiment of mine, along with a little help from my friends, turned into Raisin Biscuits. WOW…and what a discovery it was. You’re going to love these healthy biscuits with a just enough added sweetness to say, “Oh my goodness”!!!
Ingredients: (4-6 servings)
1 cup whole wheat flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
4 tsp baking powder(alum free)
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 – 1 cup Raisin Milk (I use 2%, skim milk will work also)
Directions
Place 1/2 cup raisins (unsweetened of course) in a bowl and add 1 cup milk. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This is the milk and raisins you will use for the biscuits.
In a medium bowl combine flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt… mix well with whisk. Cut in oil until mixture resembles fine crumbs and is thoroughly combined with flour mix. Stir in raisin milk along with the raisins that have been soaking. I’ve discovered that sometimes 3/4 cup milk is all that is needed and other times it requires the entire 1 cup. Just make sure that your dough is not overly wet. Pour in a little milk at a time…stir just until moistened. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. The dough should not be kneaded. Shape with your hands to 3/4″ thickness, cut with a biscuit cutter and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 14-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm…taste great with Apple Butter Spread (unsweetened) or serve all by themselves.
NOTE: If you would like biscuits that are even sweeter, place the raisins and milk that have been soaking for 24 hours in a blender and blend until the raisins are pureed. Now you have ultra sweet “Raisin Milk”.
Gale Compton 
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