Christmas Fruit Cookies


Submitted By: Irene Greer

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (for dredging fruits and nuts)
  • 11/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 21/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon soda
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup bourbon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 pound dates, chopped (buy whole pitted dates and chop them; do not use
  • pre-chopped)
  • 1 pound golden raisins
  • 1 pound candied
  • pineapple, chopped
  • 1 pound candied
  • cherries, halved
  • 1 pound pecans, chopped

    • Instructions


    Preheat oven to 350ยบ. In a large bowl, mix together dates, raisins, pineapple, cherries, and pecans. Sprinkle the 3/4 cup of flour over the mixture and mix thoroughly, using your hands if necessary. Set aside.
    Beat sugar and butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty stand mixer until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Stir in buttermilk.
    Mix together the remaining flour, soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon; gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until blended. Gradually add bourbon while blending and then add vanilla.
    Pour batter over fruit mixture and stir until all fruit is coated. Mix with your hands, if necessary. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls, about one inch apart onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake about 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks for about 20 minutes, then remove from baking sheets with a spatula.
    Make about two weeks before Christmas and store in an airtight container for several days before eating, then start inviting family, friends, and neighbors over for coffee or tea and cookies or deliver little gift bags to them. Save some for Christmas! Will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.