Fruit and Nut Cookie Recipe
This cookie is my great-grandmother’s fruit and nut recipe my mother loved growing up. It’s an “old school” recipe that probably came from her family. My mother remembers her Pappy cracking and picking walnuts, and remembers that her Gram would put the cookies in a lard can, covered with a cloth soaked in cheap wine to keep the cookies moist, and also to keep my mother out of the cookies because the lard cans were too hard to open.
Filled with pecans, candied fruits and dates, these cookies can take on any add-ons you'd like, from red and green cherries or dates to chopped dried apricots, tart cherries, and/or currants.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 Cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour, sifted
- 1/4 TSP Salt
- 1 TSP Baking Soda, dissolved in 1/4 Cup Warm Water
- 1 Cup Pecans or Walnuts, chopped lightly
- 1 Cup Candied Cherries, red and/or green, chopped
- 1 Cup Candied Pineapple, chopped
- 1/2 LB Raisins, regular or golden
- 1/2 TSP Cinnamon
- 1/4 TSP Cloves
- Zested Lemon and Juice of 1/2 Lemon
- 2 TBSP Flour to dredge onto Fruit
- Shot Glass of Wine
Directions:
- Put about 2 tablespoons of flour in a bowl and toss in the fruit and nuts.
- Place the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl and cream with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until well blended. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture, alternating with the baking soda mixture and wine until a moist dough has formed.
- Add the floured fruits and nuts into the batter and fold until well combined.
- Drop the batter onto parchment paper lined baking sheets using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop. Leave about 1½ inches of space between cookies.
- Bake in a 350°F preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until the bottoms are browned. The cooking time will depend on the size of the cookies.
- Let cool on a rack and store in an airtight container for up to one week, or longer if stored in a cold place.
Yields Approximately 48 cookies