Honey Bearclaw Cookies

For a sweet ending to my recent gal pal get together, I made us Honey Bearclaw Cookies.  They were a winner at the 1956 8th Pillsbury Grand National Bake Off Contest submitted by Miss Margery Little of Chico, Ca.

(Click image to image recipe)

Most of the time when there is a recipe in the Grand National recipe booklets, if it has a fun shape they make sure to have a picture included.  They decided to leave that important and pertinent information for us home bakers to figure out on our own with this recipe.  I don't know what a bear claw really looks like except for those delicious lard and sugar laden pastries, which look more like the bear got his claw caught in a wood chipper.  

I guess I could have looked it up but eh! I decided to just go with what ever came to mind.
Changes I did with this recipe are I added some brown food coloring to the dough and I used cashews for the claws instead of peanuts.  I also cut lines across the top because for some reason that's what I think looks like a bear claw...but I have a feeling that mine are more monkey claw!

The interesting thing about this recipe and the Funny-Face Hamburgers that I didn't realize until constructing these cookies is how they are similar: 2 rounds of dough with a filling and both have raisins. This could be a proper palate pairing of dishes!
I really liked these cookies.  The filling was sweet and rich, and complimented the salty cashews while the cookie dough stayed fairly mutual.

Our gal pal evening went well, we chit chatted for several hours. Now that she has seen the house spic and span, the pressure is off. The next time she comes over there will be dust and cat hair colonies forming in the corners of the living room, I'll serve store brand Doritos and Dean's french onion dip and I'll be wearing a muu-muu!