Fruitcake Cookies

Did you forget to make a fruitcake back in the middle of November when you're supposed to in order for the cake to have time to properly soak up spirits and mature into the moist, delicious treat that fruitcake can be? I did, as I do every year.

But there is still time to make fruitcake cookies!

I stumbled upon the amazing idea of making fruitcake cookies over at the King Arthur Flour blog, Baking Banter. If you enjoy baking and have never seen this blog, you really need to check it out. I've actually banned Baking Banter from my RSS feed, because everything they bake makes me drool. Instead, I've stuck the blog over in my bookmarks where I only check it every month or two, you know, so I don't get so inspired to bake everything they post.To make fruitcake cookies you're just using the same batter as fruitcake, but, instead of baking it in a loaf or bundt pan, you're baking the batter in cookie form. So, if you already have a tried-and-true fruitcake recipe you love, just use that recipe.

I decided to stick to the recipe on King Arthur Flour's baking blog, which calls for nuts and mostly naturally dried fruit, with the exception of candied cherries. Their reasoning for keeping the candied cherries is that they are the least offensive taste-wise of the traditional fruitcake candied fruits, plus they're just so colorful and would be missed by those who truly love fruitcake. I totally agree.Did I just say I stuck to the recipe? OK, I did change it up a bit, but I think it's for the better. After baking the cookies, I tasted them and they tasted fine, but were missing something. A soaking in spirits! The soaking and curing in spirits (usually port, sherry, brandy, bourbon, or rum; or any combination of these) is what really takes fruitcake to a higher level and makes it so moist and yummy. Also, I didn't add the espresso powder the recipe called for, because coffee just doesn't say fruitcake to me.

After the cookies were cooled, I brushed port on the top of the cookies, then flipped them over and brushed the bottoms of the cookies with port. For good measure, I brushed the tops again with port. Oh my goodness! These were fabulous. And I really love the cookie form, which is great for taking to holiday parties. Also, I bet fruitcake haters would snatch these up not knowing they are fruitcake and declare them delicious. I don't know how many fruitcake haters I've converted over the years, but it brings me such joy.
Fruitcake Cookies
adapted from Baking Banter
makes 40-50 cookies

1/2 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1/4 cup bourbon, rum, or brandy
1/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
9 cups chopped dried fruit and nuts (I used equal portions of pecans, raisins, dried cranberries, apricots, dates, dried pineapple, and candied cherries.)
3/4 cup port (or other liquor of choice)

• In a large bowl, beat together butter, light brown sugar, salt, and baking powder.
  
• Add eggs to mixture, and beat until smooth and creamy.
• Add 1/4 cup bourbon or other spirit, and 1/4 cup apple cider, and beat until combined.
• Add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and flour, and beat until combined.
• Stir into the batter all of the chopped dried fruits and nuts.
• Spoon balls of dough about the size of a golf ball onto buttered or parchment lined baking sheets, leaving about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of space between the dough.
• Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cookies are set and bottoms are light brown.
• Remove from baking pans, and cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes.
  
• When cookies are cool, brush tops and bottoms of cookies with port or liquor of choice.
  
• Cookies can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for a couple of months, or even longer in the freezer.
  

White Fruitcake

As if my copious mayonnaise consumption weren’t proof enough that I’m a disgusting individual, I made fruitcake this past weekend. I’m one of the fifty people out there that actually likes fruitcake. In fact, I’ve been known to foster unwanted gift fruitcakes at my house.

My Dad also likes fruitcake. Ever since he’s discovered my blog (beware of links), he emails me occasionally with recipes or ideas. I’ve yet to follow through. Not that they aren’t lovely idea, it’s just that I don’t actually plan what I’m going to post. Posts just happen.

My secret ingredient: crystallized ginger.

The other day, he asks me if I have the prize-winning fruitcake recipe (not his recipe, someone else’s). Because it's prime time (maybe even a little late) to make fruitcake, if you want it ready for Christmas. Yep, I’ve got it. I was actually planning on making fruitcake last year, and a year later is about the perfect time to get around to doing things.

Blue ribbon be damned, I could not follow the recipe. It called for creaming butter and sugar for 15 minutes, and everyone knows I have no patience. And for giggles, I added crystallized ginger. I went with my Dad’s suggestion of using Sunmaid's Jumbo raisins – they’re huge! He just moved into a new house with a slow oven, and declares that slow and low is key. Mine was done in 2 ½ hours at 225°. We’ll compare notes at Christmas. (I hope I win.)

My camera got a bath after this shot.

And for those of you that bitch about fake fruit in fruitcakes…It’s candied, not fake. Get over it – or make one with only dried fruit. And if you still can’t get over it, send all shunned cakes to my house.

White Fruitcake
Adapted from Revised Version of Spices of Life Past and Present by Lee A. Harley, Sr.

20 ounces candied pineapple, cut into ¼ inch pieces
12 ounces candied cherries, cut in half
4 ounces jumbo raisins
8 ounces dates, chopped coarsely
2 ounces crystallized ginger, chopped finely
1 ½ cups pecans, chopped coarsely
1 cup walnuts, chopped coarsely
2 cups flour
¾ cup butter, (room temperature)
1 cup granulated sugar
5 eggs (room temperature)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon mace
2 ounces sweet wine, (port or cream sherry)
brandy, rum or other spirits to add after the cake is baked

• Preheat oven to 225°.
• Mix fruit, ginger, and nuts in a large bowl, keeping a few pieces out for decorating the top of the cake.
• Sift flour, and mix about 1/3 cup flour in fruit and nut mixture until coated.
• Cream butter and sugar together in a small bowl and beat for 15 minutes, if you can stand it that long. I lasted 5 minutes.
• In another small bowl, beat eggs on high for 1 minute. Add the cinnamon and mace to the egg mixture.
• Add the creamed butter and sugar to the fruit and nut mixture, mixing well. Then add the egg mixture, mixing well. Then add the flour in three parts, mixing after each addition. Then add the sweet wine and mix. (It’s best to just reach in there and mix with your hands.)
• Fill a greased, or greased parchment-lined bundt pan (or a few smaller pans) with the batter, pressing down and smoothing out the batter. Decorate the top with nuts or fruit.
• Bake at 225° for 2-2 ½ hours, or until center of cake is done and straw inserted in middle of cake comes out clean.
• When completely cooled, unmold cake and wrap in foil for a week to cure. (Some add spirits after cooling, but I'm following the recipe sent to me, and will wait.)
• After a week of curing, sprinkle a few ounces of any combination of spirits (brandy, whiskey, port, rum, scotch, sherry) on top for the cake to absorb. Repeat, adding spirits every few days until the cake is moist throughout, or until you’re satisfied with the results.