Assemble ingredients.

Place raisins into a medium-sized saucepan. Add the water and orange juice. Cover and bring to a boil then immediately reduce heat, uncover, and boil mixture gently over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix sugar, flour, white sugar, salt, and spices together. Add to raisins and cook, uncovered, over medium low heat until thick, about 10-12 minutes, stirring constantly and gently to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and add vanilla and butter. Stir well. Place saucepan on wire cooling rack and let mixture cool completely to room temperature, stirring several times, for a couple of hours or so.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 9”x13” pan.

In large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add egg and beat well. Add vanilla and milk and beat until incorporated.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt together. Add to the creamed mixture, a cup at a time, stirring until combined.

Transfer dough to floured flat surface and knead dough into a disk shape.

Divide the dough into two equal parts. Form each half of the dough into a rectangular log shape. Cut a piece of wax paper about 18” long. Sprinkle lightly with flour. On the wax paper, roll out half of the dough into a rectangle shape the size of the pan. Lay the pan upside down over the dough. Catch both ends of the wax paper while grabbing onto the ends of the pan and flip the pan and dough over together. Remove the wax paper and adjust and press the dough to fit the bottom of the pan.

Spread the cooled raisin mixture evenly over the cookie dough base.

On wax paper sprinkled lightly with flour, roll out the remaining half of the dough into a rectangle shape to fit the size of the pan. By catching hold of the ends of the wax paper, carefully lift the wax paper and dough up and flip it over on to the raisin filling. Remove the wax paper. Sprinkle the crust with white sugar, if desired.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire cooling rack before cutting into 2” squares and serving.