Fruitcake Cookies

Two Christmas dessert favorites, fruitcake and Christmas cookies, unite in this slice-and-bake Fruitcake Cookie recipe. Customize this homemade cake-like Christmas cookie recipe with your favorite dried fruits, nuts, and liquors.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Soaking and Chilling Time 16

Total Time 40

Servings cookies

Calories 193kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

8 ounces dried figs stem trimmed and coarsely chopped (see note 1)
6 ounces walnuts chopped (about 1 1/2 cups, see note 3)
4 ounces raisins
4 ounces candied cherries chopped (or dried cherries)
2 tablespoons brandy (see note 2)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
Salt
1 pound butter at room temperature
1/2 cup superfine sugar (see note 4)
1/3 cup light brown sugar packed
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 large egg
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix together the figs, walnuts, raisins, cherries, brandy, honey, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight (at least 8 hours) at room temperature to soften.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with an electric mixer, cream the butter, superfine sugar, brown sugar, and ground cloves together on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
With the mixer on low speed, add the egg and mix until incorporated. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt until just combined. Do not over mix! Add the fruits and nuts, including any liquid in the bowl. Stir to combine.
Divide the dough in half and place each half on the long edge of a 12" by 18" piece of parchment or waxed paper. Roll each half into a log, 1 1/2" to 1 3/4" thick, making an 18" long roll. Refrigerate the dough for several hours, or until firm.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. With a small, sharp knife, cut the logs into 1/2" thick slices. Place the slices 1/2" apart on prepared ungreased sheet pans and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to completely cool.

Notes

Dried figs, raisins, and cherries: Or any dried fruit you prefer chopped small, such as dates, candied orange peel, dried pineapple, candied ginger, or dried cranberries.
Brandy: Sherry, rum, or bourbon also tastes great. For an alcohol-free cookie recipe, or if you don’t want to use any alcohol whatsoever, use 2 tablespoons of orange juice or apple cider instead.
Walnuts: Chopped pecans also work well. To enhance the flavor, try toasted walnuts or toasted pecans; bake on a sheet pan at 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes.
Superfine sugar: Find this in the baking aisle, or to make superfine sugar at home, put the amount of granulated white sugar called for in your recipe (here, 1/2 cup) in a food processor. Add a couple of tablespoons more to compensate for a reduction in overall volume that occurs when blending. Process for 1 to 2 minutes until the sugar feels like fine sand, letting the sugar dust settle before opening your food processor to check. Remeasure before using.
Yield: This Fruitcake Cookie recipe makes a very food-giftable batch of 40 Christmas cookies.
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Or, if you live in a cold climate, store them on your patio or in your garage for several weeks. To freeze baked cookies, separate cooled baked cookies with small sheets of wax paper and place them in a freezer-safe container. Freeze up to 3 months for best results.
Make ahead: Mix up the dough, wrap it in waxed paper and foil, then freeze (instead of refrigerate) the Fruitcake Cookie rolls for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake and proceed with step 5, remove the log from the freezer and let it thaw for about 15 minutes at room temperature. Because they’re semi-frozen, they’ll likely need a minute or two extra in the oven to bake.
Freezer: Freeze the uncut, unbaked logs of cookie dough for up to 3 months. When you're ready to bake, remove the log from the freezer and let it warm up for about 15 minutes at room temperature. Cut the cookies into slices using a sharp chef’s knife, or a serrated knife, if that works better. Bake according to the recipe instructions (15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees).

Nutrition