Step 1

Lightly grease 2 baking sheets, or line with parchment paper-(I use parchment)Dough:Whisk together the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into small cubes, and work it into the dry ingredients using your fingers, a mixer or a fork, mixing until the dough in unevenly crumbly.

Step 2

Drizzle with the orange juice and water,mixing until dough holds together and it doesn't seem all dry or crumbly-you've added enough liquid.

Step 3

Divide the dough in 1/2, and shape each 1/2 into a small rectangles ;pressing each of the 4 sides against the work surface to smooth any rough edges.

Step 4

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Remove 1 piece of dough from the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350^.Place dough on a lightly floured parchment paper surface. Roll it into a rectangle 10x 14-inches, about a little less than 1/8 -inch thick; the THINNER the better. Ragged edges are OK. The thinner you can roll them without tearing the better!

Step 5

Brush dough lightly with some of the beaten egg, then spread 1/2 the surface with 3/4 cup of the raisins, pressing them in carefully. Fold dough over raisins and flatten dough again with rolling pin. to about 6x15-inches. Some raisins might pop though- that's OK. Slide dough off parchment paper onto the prepared cookie sheet. Brush dough with some of the beaten egg ,(if using the coarse sugar,sprinkle on now).

Step 6

Using a roiling pizza wheel or bench knife, carefully cut the rectangle of dough inti 3 strips,lengthwise. Then crosswise into 5 pieces.No need to separate they will break apart when you finish baking them. But you can separate them if you wish.Both ways work well. Because they don't expand much.Using a fork poke holes all over the top of the dough.

Step 7

Repeat with remaining dough.Bake for 18 minutes, until they're a light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on rack. If you do not need the cookie pan you can cool them on the pan.I baked them apart this time- but like them left together with perforations then baked.