Nell's Fruitcake Cookies

Name: Nell's Fruitcake Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 36 cookies
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Crisco; 1 cup brown sugar; 1 egg; 1/4 cup milk; 2 cups sifted flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1 cup chopped pecans or 1 cup walnuts; 1 cup chopped dates (the whole ones you have to cut up are better than the pre-diced one); 1/2 cup candied red cherries, cut in quarters; 1/2 cup green glazed cherries, cut in quarters

Submitted by Impera_Magna

"Altho this recipe requires a lot of "cutting/chopping"... it's worth every second. I made this for a cookie exchange one time and afterwards, when the hostess' husband arrived home... he took one look at my cookies and said "My grandmother made those fruitcake cookies!" ... to which I responded... "So did mine." He loved them and requested the recipe, which I gladly shared."

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photo by Zurie

Ready In:: 40mins
Ingredients:: 12
Yields:: 36 cookies

ingredients

¹⁄₂ cup Crisco
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
¹⁄₄ cup milk
2 cups sifted flour
¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking powder
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans or 1 cup walnuts
1 cup chopped dates (the whole ones you have to cut up are better than the pre-diced one)
¹⁄₂ cup candied red cherries, cut in quarters
¹⁄₂ cup green glazed cherries, cut in quarters

directions

Cream together crisco and sugar.
Stir in egg; add milk and blend well.
Sift dry ingredients together, stir in to batter.
Add nuts, dates, and cherries, stirring to distribute evenly.
Chill dough 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet; top w/ half cherry or walnut/pecan half.
Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly brown.
Cool on wire rack.

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Reviews

My grandma used to make these cookies for Christmas every year and we loved them so I was very excited to find this recipe!!! I used a 1/2 c. mixed peel (I had some left over and didn't want to waste it) in mine and 1/2 c. glazed cherries along with the nuts and dates and they turned out exactly like I remember! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful old fashioned recipe!

Lynn302
Fantastic! I didn't have the candied cherries. So I used 1/2 dried cherries and 1/2 (chopped, well drained) maraschinos just for experiments sake. They're lovely. Almost like a fruity, nutty, sweet (but not to sweet!) biscuit. I'll make these again for Yule with the right stuff! I'm just sitting here now, trying to figure out how Zurie got hers so perfectly shaped though lol. Thanks Impera!

Nikoma
How is it possible that this delicious cookie hasn't been made and reviewed yet?? This IS an heirloom cookie, and definitely a keeper!!! In spite of Impera Magna's "warning" that it requires a lot of cutting and chopping, it's not a long process at all. I used both red and green glace/candied cherries as I did not have enough of one colour. My husband (official cookie taster!) had one cookie to "judge" them, and said, "Hey! Better hide these from me! And it's a 5! It's wonderful!" Yes, it will be hidden or he'll nibble until none are left. This is a great recipe, and to those with convection/fan ovens, I put in all three solid plates and the cookies baked beautifully even, all at the same time -- a real time-saver. A delicious cookie, and do not sub the dates -- just use a good quality like the large, soft Medjools. Thanks, Impera Magna, these go into my files!!! By the way, the recipe made 57 cookies (and I didn't count the raw batter I ate ...)

Zurie