Fruitcake Cookies
I like to think of these delicious and festive Fruitcake Cookies as the kid friendly version of the traditional Holiday Fruitcake. A soft drop cookie, filled with pieces of candied cherries, pineapple and pecans, you won’t find any bourbon or rum here. I promise, even fruitcake haters are going to love these cookies.
The base of the cookie is like a Snickerdoodle, with vanilla and cinnamon, and then we add a hint of lemon to balance out the sweetness of all that candied fruit. The pecans add a bit of a crunch to the already soft, chewy, deliciousness.
No fuss, easy to prepare recipes, that are delicious AND impressive are just what I need around the holiday. The bright colors from the candied fruit really make a beautiful addition to your holiday cookie platter and the fact that they can be made ahead is a huge bonus!
I also love that this recipe is so quick to assemble. Let me show you how easy it is.
Can you freeze Fruitcake Cookie dough?
We all know how hectic the holiday season can get, so making cookies ahead of time can be a real life saver. Most cookie doughs can be frozen successfully for up to 3 months. With these Fruitcake Cookies you have two different options.
- Make and freeze the dough; defrost and bake as needed
- Bake the cookies, cool completely and freeze in a freezer safe container until needed.
Fruitcake Cookie Variations
- Change the nuts
- Add dried cranberries, raisins or chopped dates
- Mix in 1/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger
Fruitcake Cookies
Moist and Chewy easy to prepare Fruitcake Cookies. Candied cherries, pineapple and pecans in a cinnamon vanilla dough are a beautiful and unique cookie to add to your next Cookie Exchange or Holiday event.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter -- at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup candied red cherries -- coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup candied green cherries -- coarsely chopped
- 1 cup dried pineapple pieces -- coarsely chopped
- 2 cups pecans -- coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar using a hand mixer.
- Add eggs, salt, vanilla, lemon, and cinnamon and mix until well incorporated.
- Add the flour and baking soda and mix well. Fold in fruit and pecans.
- Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. You can also use parchment paper instead of greasing the cookie sheet.
- Bake for 23 to 25 minutes. Do not over bake. You want these to be chewy and soft. Allow to cool completely.
Notes
To Make ahead you have two options.
Make the dough and freeze, unbaked until closer to the holidays. Remove from freezer and defrost the dough. Bake as directed.
Bake as directed. Place in an airtight freezer container in between layers of waxed paper. Freeze up to 2 months.
Defrost at room temperature at least 2 hours before serving.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
36Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 104Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 14mgSodium 19mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 1gSugar 8gProtein 1g
I’ve collaborated with a very talented group of Food Bloggers to bring you the very best selection of Christmas Cookies. There are so many delicious recipes, you may even want to start testing now (maybe for thanksgiving treats) to see which are your favorites.
Get all the recipes, drool over the photo’s and start making your list! You’re going to want to make them all!
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