Fruitcake Cookies
So much better than the old-fashioned cake! These easy fruitcake cookies are a beautiful, festive addition to your Christmas dessert tray.
Servings 33 cookies
Calories 126.4kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) salted butter, softened at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup chopped dates
- ½ cup chopped red candied cherries
- ½ cup chopped green candied cherries
- ½ cup chopped candied pineapple
- Optional: 1-2 tablespoons brandy, bourbon, whiskey, or sherry
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Beat butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add egg and vanilla (and alcohol, if using); beat well. Gradually add the flour mixture just until combined, being careful not to over-mix. Gently fold in the nuts and fruit.
- Drop batter by heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheets that have been lined with parchment or silicone mats.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or just until slightly golden brown. You want them to still be soft when you pull them out of the oven. They will firm up as they cool, and this will keep them soft and chewy on the inside. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for at least 1-2 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- The cookies only need about 8-10 minutes in the oven. Be careful not to over-bake them! The cookies will look soft and under-baked in the centers, but that's fine -- they will firm up as they cool. This keeps the cookies soft and chewy, rather than hard and crunchy.
- For a touch of warm spice, add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients.
- How long will fruitcake cookies last? The cookies will keep on the counter at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- Can you freeze fruitcake cookies? Yes! Wrapped tightly, the cookies will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To make fruitcake cookies without nuts, simply omit the pecans and walnuts and substitute with an additional 1 cup of candied fruit of your choice.
- To make fruitcake cookies with bourbon, rum, whiskey, brandy or sherry, simply add 1-2 tablespoons of your desired alcohol to the cookie dough at the same time that you add the egg and vanilla.
- You can purchase individual containers of red candied cherries, green candied cherries, and candied pineapple. If available, I find it easier to purchase a container of mixed candied fruit, which includes the chopped red and green cherries, as well as the pineapple. You'll need a total of 1 1/2 cups of candied fruit, no matter which combination you use.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 126.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.1g | Protein: 1.3g | Fat: 6.8g | Saturated Fat: 2.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 16.9mg | Sodium: 54.2mg | Potassium: 47.6mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 9g