Nana's Old Fashioned Raisin Filled Cookies

Somewhere I have my MIL's recipe for this type of cookie only with my favorite date filling.

Nana's Old Fashioned Raisin Filled Cookies

2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups sifted all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
Cream together sugar, eggs, shortening and vanilla extract.
Sift together 5 cups of flour, the salt, cream of tarter and baking soda.
Add, alternately, the flour mixture and milk to the creamed mixture. Add
last
cup of flour gradually. Dough should be soft. Chill thoroughly.
Roll dough about 1/8 inch thick on a floured board. Using a 2-inch round
cookie cutter, dipped in flour, cut cookies and place on a lightly greased
cookie
sheet 2 inches apart. Place about 1 tsp of raisin filling or jelly in center
of each cookie. Top with another circle of dough. Press edges together to
seal. Board should be floured with each rolling of the dough.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Nana's Raisin Filling
3 cups raisins
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1/4 cup finely chopped nuts
Combine ingredients and cook until stiff.
NOTE: Nana use to make these with jelly in place of the raisin filling for
some of the grandchildren who didn't like raisins. Sometimes she did half of
each to please everyone