Raisins in Baking

kitchenwitch

kitchenwitch

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They're a slightly controversial ingredient I think... It seems like people either love raisins in desserts or hate them. I'm definitely in the 'hate them' category.

I don't know whether it's a texture or a taste thing but for me there's nothing worse than biting into a delicious slice of carrot cake and finding out it's full of raisins. Or oatmeal cookies that you think have chocolate chips. If it's something I really like I might try to pick them out but I usually avoid anything that I know has raisins, and a lot of the people I bake for are the same way.

I'm not really picky about anything else, especially when it comes to sweets, but I just can't get over the weird soft texture and the taste reminds me of elementary school snacks. I honestly wish I liked them because toasted raisin cinnamon bread smells so divine, but it just doesn't work for me.

Do you use raisins in your baking, or are they an ingredient you'd rather leave out?
 
I love raisins and cook with them when I bake. I have 4 grand children, 2 have grown up living in the same house with me and eating raisins all the time, the other 2 do not get to eat my cooking on a regular basis and do not like raisins in their baked goods, which is surprising to me as I know their mother eats raisins.
 
I love raisins, always have. I remember being little and getting up in the cupboard and sneaking the raisins that mom had for baking.
I don't use them too much when I am cooking but I do like them in Oatmeal Raisin cookies. Other then that I just eat them like that.
 
I love carrot cake but my husband bakes the best pudding in town. From leftover bread that we would crush and grind, the simple recipe included evaporated milk to melt the crushed bread and condensed milk for the flavoring. A little cheese is added for more flavor but the coup de grace is the raisins. He buys the big raisins that is included in the mix. When baked, he would take out from the oven and let it cool in the dining table. The raisins have a different taste, an exotic taste that everybody here loves.
 
I love raisins I don't know why other people don't like it. But I've got to say raisins in carrot cake is sch a bad idea because ya know, it's called carrot cake for a reason there's purity in there you have to stick to the original. Raisins are great in soft cookies, muffins and puddings so I usually use them in those kinds of bread and I cut back on the sugar and salt because of it's strong taste.
 
MyExWasAChef said:
I love raisins I don't know why other people don't like it. But I've got to say raisins in carrot cake is sch a bad idea because ya know, it's called carrot cake for a reason there's purity in there you have to stick to the original. Raisins are great in soft cookies, muffins and puddings so I usually use them in those kinds of bread and I cut back on the sugar and salt because of it's strong taste.
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You just reminded me, there's actually one place that I like raisins in dessert and that's when they're included in rice pudding! That's one recipe that's just not the same without the raisins :)
 
I love using raisins both in my cooking and baking. I had recipes that when I put raisins it makes them extraordinary delicious in taste. That is why I had stock of raisins in my kitchen so that it is always available when ever I need it.
 
I love raisins. I don't think I've ever had them in carrot cake, though. I love them in oatmeal cookies, and wouldn't want chocolate chips in oatmeal cookies, because they would feel too much like a sweet dessert. I also remember sneaking up onto the counter and filching a few raisins here and there. I love golden raisins, as well.
 
I happen to be a lover of raisins and will eat them in most things. I love them in cakes, cookies, sweet bread, chocolate bars, and other desserts. I have also added raisins to my cereal on occasions. There were even a few times that I grated carrots and added raisins to them. They go well in toss salads too. Raisins tend to enhance the taste of many foods, especially desserts. I would not think of cooking bread pudding without adding some raisins.
 
I like raisins added to dishes in general. They are good for you. I am more of a fan of nuts in dishes than raisins, but both are nice additions that can enhance the flavor of so many things. Try sunflower seeds and raisins on your next salad. They are really yummy, and healthy as well.
 
Caribbean girl said:
I happen to be a lover of raisins and will eat them in most things. I love them in cakes, cookies, sweet bread, chocolate bars, and other desserts. I have also added raisins to my cereal on occasions. There were even a few times that I grated carrots and added raisins to them. They go well in toss salads too. Raisins tend to enhance the taste of many foods, especially desserts. I would not think of cooking bread pudding without adding some raisins.
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I agree, they add to the flavor, and I'm happy to pack in extra vitamins and minerals whenever I can. I love them in rice pudding and bread pudding. I think I have tossed them in/on salads a few times, but will have to remember to do that more. I'm also a fan of seeds and nuts in and on just about everything, especially my cereal and bread.
 
It's an ingredient I'd rather have so much so, sometimes if I don't have any I might not even attempt most things. With my near disaster recently with my first yeast bread I was thinking I really should have added some raisins to the mix. Often when a recipe doesn't even call for it I'll add them any way. I as grow in my baking, I want to perfect their use in recipes because sometimes just adding them wildly does not go down well.
 
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kitchenwitch said:
They're a slightly controversial ingredient I think... It seems like people either love raisins in desserts or hate them. I'm definitely in the 'hate them' category.

I don't know whether it's a texture or a taste thing but for me there's nothing worse than biting into a delicious slice of carrot cake and finding out it's full of raisins. Or oatmeal cookies that you think have chocolate chips. If it's something I really like I might try to pick them out but I usually avoid anything that I know has raisins, and a lot of the people I bake for are the same way.

I'm not really picky about anything else, especially when it comes to sweets, but I just can't get over the weird soft texture and the taste reminds me of elementary school snacks. I honestly wish I liked them because toasted raisin cinnamon bread smells so divine, but it just doesn't work for me.

Do you use raisins in your baking, or are they an ingredient you'd rather leave out?
Click to expand...
I too hate raisins in baked goods and think that they ruin the dessert. The only time I will eat raisins is in trail mix, and even then, I just tolerate them. They are not my favorite dried fruit at all. If you want to add dried fruit to a dessert go with something more pleasing like blueberries or cranberries.
 
I can't really stand dried fruit or candied peel in any cake/baked goods. They ruin the texture for me and I hate the way they squidge in the mouth when you bite into one. The only exception is in one or two recipes such as Christmas cake and Christmas pudding where they should be solid fruit and very little sponge.

For me the absolute worst is fruit with visible sponge cake in between. Yuck!
 
I'm neutral in this debate but I hate it when bakers use raisins to look like chocolate chips. Very misleading haha. Raisins add an interesting flavor though. I think I've tasted a pound cake with a smattering of raisins and it was really good.
 
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