From “The Fannie Farmer Cookbook,” by Marion Cunningham (Knopf). Makes 36 squares.
Ingredients
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 chopped nuts
2 cups flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch cake pan. Toss the raisins and the chopped nuts in 1/4 cup of the flour; set aside. Cream the butter, then add the sugar and blend well. Add the salt, eggs and molasses and beat well. Add sour cream and stir. Mix together the remaining 1 3/4 cups flour, the baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, cloves, mace and nutmeg, add to the butter-sugar-egg mixture, and beat thoroughly. Stir in the raisins and nuts. Spread in the pan. Bake only until the top is firm and the center chewy, about 15-20 minutes.
