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 144kcal
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (275 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) salted butter, softened but still cool to the touch
- 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
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add the flour mixture just until combined, being careful not to over-mix. Gently fold in the nuts and fruit.
- Chill the dough for about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Using a 1 ½-tablespoon cookie dough scoop, drop the batter about 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, or just until lightly browned on the edges but still soft in the centers.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes, and then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- The cookies only need about 9-11 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: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 97mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Vitamin C: 0.05mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg