Friutcake Cookies

My Aunt Irene gave me a cookbook back in 1982 that has some very special recipes in it! This was put together by the Extension Homemakers Club of Hood County. Aunt Irene and Uncle Harry were living in Granbury, Texas at the time. As far as I can tell by leafing through the pages and realizing I date each recipe when I use it.....I do not believe I cooked or baked anything from this book til 1985. That year I tried the Fruitcake Cookie Recipe and have been making it ever since! These cookies are delicious and even people who do not normally like fruitcake love these! I must admit I always increase the spices called for....using at least TWICE as much! I love that these cookies SMELL like the holidays! The more spices the better the fragrance!

We use pecans from our own trees. You can tweak this recipe a number of ways. I use a total of 3 lbs. of fruits but have seldom used dates opting for additional pecans and candied fruits.

I also use butter, vanilla or occasionally rum extracts or a combination thereof!

This is a pretty heavy dough and not one of those cookie recipes you can just whip up like you do Snicker doodles or chocolate chip! Do not try to mix the fruit and the batter in your mixer bowl even if you have a heavy duty Kitchen Aid as I do! It is better to use a heavy wooden spoon.

This makes a pretty big batch of cookies! I often put a halved red candied cherry or a pecan half on top of each cookie before baking.....making this pretty cookie even PRETTIER! This year I had to wait til Summer finally spotted the candied fruit on the shelf at our local Tom Thumb. I hope to stock up and have it on hand for next year. Traditionally I make these on September 1st while listening to Neil Diamond singing September Morn. I have a dear friend, June,  who loves Fruitcake Cookies more than any other kind and since she has a September birthday.....a tin of these is my yearly birthday present to her.

Nothing smells more like HOME than cookies baking in the oven!