Gran made these cookies every Christmas season. We joked because hers were as hard as rocks too, lol. She taught me to make them, and I taught her that if you put the cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread, the cookies stay nice and soft. She used to use dates and raisins, but our family eventually did away with the dates because they preferred raisins. The recipe we’re sharing is part Gran’s special holiday cookies and my years of adjustments until they became wonderfully soft, cake-like cookies with chunks or walnuts and sweet raisins.
Gran made these cookies every Christmas season. We joked because hers were as hard as rocks too, lol. She taught me to make them, and I taught her that if you put the cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread, the cookies stay nice and soft. She used to use dates and raisins, but our family eventually did away with the dates because they preferred raisins. The recipe we’re sharing is part Gran’s special holiday cookies and my years of adjustments until they became wonderfully soft, cake-like cookies with chunks or walnuts and sweet raisins.
When I asked Gran for her recipe she just laughed and said a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I watched her long enough to get the ingredients in this recipe. But she would add all of in in a whole big dump into a large mixing bowl. Gran was a tiny wisp of a woman with a slight Irish lilt leftover from her childhood in County Cork. Back then she didn’t have a mixer, so we would get Pop Pop to come and mix the super thick and chunky mixture, adding water to thin it out as needed. He would laugh and complain, but he always did it for her. Now I throw it all in my Kitchen Aid, but I would love to see my Pop Pop mixing it.
Mix all the ingredients together, you can add more water if necessary if it is too thick.
Once it is all mixed, drop by tablespoons on to a greased and floured baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. The cookies should raise and poof up. Don’t let the bottoms get too brown.
Allow to cool and store in air tight container with a piece of bread to keep soft. These cookies make great Christmas gifts or just enjoy with super cold milk.
I hope you and your family enjoy them as much as we do.
Gran's Michigan Rock Cookies
Old-Fashioned, Soft and Cake-Like Raisin, Date & Walnut Cookies
These old-fashioned Michigan Rock Cookies are a treasured family recipe from my grandmother, whom we lovingly called Gran. Soft, thick, and wonderfully cake-like, these cookies are filled with raisins, dates, and crunchy walnuts.
They're the kind of homemade cookies that bring back memories of family kitchens, well-loved recipe cards, and the wonderful smell of something baking in the oven.
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins
½ cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease and flour your baking sheets.
Prepare the dates. Combine the chopped dates and water in a small saucepan. Heat gently until the dates soften. Stir in the baking soda and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
Cream the butter and sugars. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy.
Add the eggs. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated.
Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, then measure 4 cups. Add the baking powder and salt.
Mix the dough. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the softened date mixture and mix until combined.
Add the fruit and nuts. Fold in the raisins and chopped walnuts. The dough should be thick enough to hold its shape when dropped from a spoon.
Shape the cookies. Drop generous, rounded spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving room between each cookie.
Bake at 375°F for approximately 12–15 minutes, until the cookies are set and lightly golden. They should remain soft and cake-like rather than becoming crisp.
Cool and enjoy! Allow the cookies to cool briefly on the baking sheets before transferring them to a cooling rack.
A Little Note From My Kitchen
Michigan Rock Cookies aren't your typical crunchy cookies. They're soft, fluffy, and slightly rounded, with a tender, cake-like texture.
Enjoy them with a cold glass of milk, a hot cup of tea, or simply as a little taste of family tradition.
From Gran's kitchen to yours, with love. 💜