Bourbon Fruitcake Cookies

Bourbon Fruitcake Cookies

»1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
»1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
»4 large eggs
»1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
»1 teaspoon ground mace
»1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
»3 cups flour, divided
»1/2 cup baking soda
»3 tablespoons buttermilk
»1/2 cup bourbon
»1 cup raisins, seedless
»1 pound chopped pecans
»1 pound candied pineapple, diced
»4 ounces candied cherries, chopped
»1 package (8 ounces) dates, chopped

Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Combine mace, nutmeg, cinnamon, and 2 cups of the flour in a bowl, stirring well. Combine soda and buttermilk in a small bowl, stirring well. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, blending well after each addition. Add buttermilk mixture and bourbon, beating well. Combine fruit and nuts in a large bowl; toss with remaining 1 cup flour. Add fruit and nuts to the batter; stir until well blended. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Store cookies in an airtight container with an apple half to keep moist.

INGREDIENTS:

·         1 cup butter

·         2 cups packed light brown sugar

·         4 eggs

·         1 pound golden raisins

·         1 pound raisins

·         1/2 pound red candied cherries

·         1/2 pound red candied pineapple

·         1/2 pound green candied cherries

·         1/2 pound green candied pineapple

·         1 cup bourbon

·         2 tablespoons milk

·         1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

·         3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

·         1 pound walnut halves

·         1 pound pecan halves

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DIRECTIONS:

1.     In a medium bowl, dredge candied fruit and raisins in 1 cup flour.

2.     In a large bowl, cream together brown sugar and butter. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in bourbon and milk. Mix in remaining flour and spices. Stir in fruit and nuts. Refrigerate overnight.

3.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets.

4.     Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool on wire racks.

Fruitcake Drops

It would just not seem like the holidays unless I had a few fruitcake cookies in each box of cookies. I do not make traditional fruitcakes since a little fruit cake really does go a long way, but a soft cookie with the flavor of fruitcake is always most welcome. These cookies are great plain, or you can drizzle white chocolate on top of them as described