Fruit Drop Cookies

Name: Fruit Drop Cookies
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 8 dozen
Ingredients: 150 grams of pitted dates; 115 grams of mixed peel; 150 grams green cherrys; 150 grams red cherrys; 225 grams dark sultan raisins; 115 grams light raisins; 2 tbs flour; 1/2 cup butter; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup packed brown sugar; 2 eggs; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; 1/4 tsp allspice; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 1/2 tsp vanilla; 1/2 tsp rum flavor; 2 1/2 cups flour; 1/2 cup orange juice

5.0 out of 5 · 1 rating

Active time: 45 min

Total time: 60 min

Serves: 8 dozen

These are my favorite Christmas cookies by far. Sort of like fruit cake light, don't even try to just have one.

Chef's notes

These were a creation of my great Grandmother as something to do with left over fruit from making traditional fruit cake. It was like pulling teeth to get my mother who is the holder of the recipe to figure out the fruit ratio just for just doing these cookies. Her recipe is based on cookies and cake all together and I still had fruit to make three batches of these fabulous little wonders thou I've cut down the ratio for this recipe.

Steps

Cut up dates

Ingredients

150 grams of pitted dates

Cut the dates into small pieces about the size of a raisin.

Chop the peel

Ingredients

115 grams of mixed peel

This comes already diced from the supermarket but it's very strong so I put it through the food processor to make very small pieces.

Chop cherries

Ingredients

150 grams green cherrys
150 grams red cherrys

I use an equal amount green and red cherries just because it looks nice in the cookie and it's the way mom does it. I put this through the food processor as well and chop them to small pieces thou mom uses her kitchen shears to cut them up.

Mix the fruit

Ingredients

225 grams dark sultan raisins
115 grams light raisins
2 tbs flour

Have your raisins in a good size bowl and fold in the two colours of cherries, mixed peel and cut up dates. Mix this till all the fruit is well blended through out. Put a light dusting of flour over the top and stir it through and this will keep the fruit from sticking to itself.

Start the dough

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp rum flavor

Whip up the butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs and beat well. Dissolve the baking soda in a bit of warm water and add to the batter. Add the spices, and flavorings and salt and beat well.

Add the flour

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup orange juice

With a large spoon start to work in the flour a bit at a time. When it gets too dry to mix add a bit of fresh squeezed orange juice to loosen up the batter.

Fold in the fruit

This dough should be a little looser than traditional cookie dough. Mix the fruit in about a cup at a time till well distributed through the batter. It will basically be all fruit with a bit of batter holding it all together.

Ready to bake

Preheat the oven to 325. Using a couple spoons. Scoop up about a tablespoon full and use the other spoon to drop the batter on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for between 15 to 18 minutes. Place on a cooling rack and once cool store in a tight sealing container to keep moist.

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1 Comment

Steve E • December 31, 2010 at 11:58PM

What is it they say? Many great creations are just accidents that happen while you're trying to make something else. When I accidentally bought prunes instead of dates this year I had one of those. I think I just made my favorite Christmas cookie better as they became very soft and sticky with the substitution of prunes for dates. I may not be eating them by the handful anymore however.

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The First 3 Are On Us

1 Comment

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