Fruitcake Cookies

Fruit Cake Cookies are much easier to make than traditional fruitcakes, which take a lot of work and need to be made weeks and/or months in advance.

Does anyone really like fruitcake?

I can't say that I do.

But I love these fruitcake cookies!

Everyone loves these Fruit Cake Cookies, even people who don't like fruitcake, because they are delicious.

I have two different fruitcake recipes for you to choose from.

This is is for a refrigerator slice and bake cookie that appears in Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa at Home Cookbook.

In the book she says she got the recipe from cookbook author, Lee Bailey, who asked her to make 600 pounds of the cookies for him to sell at Sak's Fifth Avenue during the Holidays.

I love baking cookies, but can you imagine baking 600 pounds of cookies? That's some serious cookie baking!

The second recipe for Fruit Cake Cookies is a tried and true drop cookie recipe straight from my Betty Crocker Cookie Book.

Fruitcake Cookies

This recipe calls for superfine sugar. You can create your own by giving granulated sugar a spin for a few seconds in your food processor until it is fine, but not powdered.

The dried fruit, honey, sherry, lemon, juice, and nuts need to sit at least 8 hours or overnight before mixing into the cookie dough and then the dough must chill for several hours before baking, so this recipe takes a bit of advanced planning.

8 ounces dried figs, stems removed and coarsely chopped
4 ounces candied cherries, coarsely chopped
4 ounces raisins
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons dried sherry
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
6 ounces chopped walnuts
Kosher salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 extra-large egg
2 2/3 cups flour

In a medium bowl, combine the figs, cherries, raisins, honey, sherry, lemon juice, walnuts and a pinch of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit 8 hours or overnight at room temperature.
In a large mixing bowl cream the butter, cloves, and sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.
Add the egg and beat on low speed until it is incorporated.
With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour and a pinch of salt and mix until just combined. You don't want to overmix or your cookies will be tough!
Add the fruit mixture and stir with the mixer or a wooden spoon just until incorporated.
Tear two (12x18) inch pieces of wax paper or parchment and place half the dough on the long edge of each piece.
Roll each half into a log about 1.5 inches in diameter and about 18 inches long.
Refrigerate the logs of dough for several hours until firm.
When you are ready to bake your cookies, place one of your oven racks in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
With a small sharp knife, cut the logs into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place the slices 1 inch apart on parchment paper lined cookie sheets and bake, one cookie sheet at a time, for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden.
Remove from the oven transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely before storing.