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1
Preheat the oven to 350F.
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2
Beat together the butter, salt, and vanilla until creamy.
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3
Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy.
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4
Stir in the flour to make a thick dough.
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5
With your hands, gather the dough into 2 balls, one a little larger than the other.
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6
Flatten the smaller ball of dough into a thin, even layer on the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish, as you would a tart shell.
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7
(Or use a larger baking sheet with low sides and press the dough into a 9- by 13-inch rectangle.)
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8
Spread the raisins evenly over the dough and gently press to embed them.
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9
Break the other ball of dough into pieces and distribute them over the raisins.
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10
Pressing gently, spread and flatten them to cover all the raisins evenly with a layer of dough.
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11
(If the baking dish is shallow enough, you can finish the top with a rolling pin.)
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12
Beat the egg and use a pastry brush to coat the top of the dough evenly with egg.
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13
Slowly drag a fork back and forth across the dough to make a decorative pattern, using the back of the tines.
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14
Crisscrossed diagonal lines look quite nice.
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15
Bake about 40 minutes, until light golden brown.
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16
Cool and cut into 1-by 3-inch rectangular bars.
