Q1: Why are these baked at 250°F? That seems so low!

This is the "Grandma's secret"! A cookie this dense and this packed with sugary, candied fruit will burn on the outside in a hot oven long before the center has a chance to cook. This gentle, "low-and-slow" bake is the non-negotiable key to a perfectly moist, chewy, and evenly-baked cookie.

Q2: My cookies are hard, not moist. What happened?

The most common culprit is overbaking. Because the dough is so dark, it can be hard to tell when it's done. You must pull them out as soon as they are "set" and "begin to look dry." They will continue to set up as they cool.

Q3: Can I make these non-alcoholic?

Yes! To make your own self-rising flour, simply whisk 3 cups of all-purpose flour with 4 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon of salt before you add it to the batter.

Q5: Can I use a different kind of nut or fruit?

Of course! This recipe is wonderfully versatile. It would also be fantastic with chopped walnuts instead of pecans, or a different mix of dried and candied fruits, like candied orange peel, dried apricots, or figs.

Fruitcake Cookies (A Boozy Holiday Classic!)

“Aunt Bert’s” Fruitcake Cookies (A Boozy Holiday Classic!)

A classic, old-fashioned recipe for ‘Aunt Bert’s Fruitcake Cookies.’ This is a very large-batch, dense drop cookie, absolutely packed with over 4 pounds of candied and dried fruits (raisins, cherries, dates, pineapple) and 28 ounces of chopped pecans. The batter is spiced with cinnamon, enriched with butter and brown sugar, and moistened with bourbon whiskey. They are baked at a very low temperature (250°F) until just set.

Author: Grace

Ingredients

1 pound white raisins
1 pound red and green candied cherries, chopped
1 pound dates, pitted and chopped
6 slices candied pineapple, chopped
1 cup bourbon whiskey, divided
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
28 ounces pecans, chopped
3 cups self-rising flour

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Prepare ungreased baking sheets.
Place the raisins, candied cherries, dates, and candied pineapple in a large bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup of the bourbon whiskey and set aside to soak.
In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and ground cinnamon.
In another bowl, sift together the self-rising flour and cinnamon.
Stir the chopped pecans and the soaked fruit mixture into the creamed butter mixture.
Stir in the self-rising flour alternately with the remaining bourbon whiskey as needed to form a soft dough.
Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart onto the ungreased baking sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or just until the cookies begin to look dry.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in a sealed container lined with waxed paper.

Notes

This is a very large-batch cookie recipe, ideal for holiday baking, cookie exchanges, or gifting.
The recipe is extremely dense and packed with fruit and nuts, characteristic of a traditional fruitcake.
The cookies are baked at a very low temperature (250°F) for a longer period to ensure the dense, fruit-filled dough cooks through evenly without burning.
The cookies are done when they look dry, not necessarily browned.

Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/fruitcake-cookies/