December 23, 2021
My mother used to love to make fruitcake cookies. This year I have been missing them, so first I reached out to my siblings to see if anyone had her recipe. No one did, so I went searching online to find a recipe that looked like it might turn out like hers did. I found a recipe, but then my husband Vern and I substituted ingredients based on what was available in our local Publix here in Touristburbia, and on what I remembered from Mama's cookies. (She used chopped dates instead of raisins. Here is the recipe we came up with. Vern is out master baker, so he's the one who makes the magic happen. The recipe is tweakable, and he adds a different spin each time. Dare I say this? The resulting cookies are tastier than the ones my Mama made! Here's the recipe.
Vern and I found a recipe for fruitcake cookies online that looked promising. We had to substitute several ingredients based on what we could find at Publix. They turned out great. Not exactly like Mama's, but just as tasty.
The original recipe is at https://noshingwiththenolands.com/best-ever-fruitcake-cookies/ Below is our version. This is double the original recipe.
Prep time (they said 15 minutes, but it took us longer to chop the fruit)
Cook time (they said 10-12 minutes but it took us about 15)
Ingredients:
2 cups dates, chopped
1 cup red candied cherries, chopped
2 cups green candied cherries, chopped
2 cups candied pineapple, chopped
2 cups pecans, chopped
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar or Splenda
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Instructions
Combine the fruit and nuts and 1/2 the flour, mix well
Cream the butter and sugar/Splenda, add the eggs and flavoring
Beat on medium speed with electric mixer until light and creamy
Stir in fruit mixture and remaining flour, baking soda, salt and mix well
Let the dough cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour
Use a small scoop or spoon and drop onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes. Let cool on cooling racks.
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