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    Home » Dessert

    How to Make Fruitcake Cookies (Christmas Lizzies)

    Published: Dec 10, 2019 · Modified: Nov 17, 2021 · By: Sweet Daddy D · with 22 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

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    Jump to Recipe

    Fruitcake Cookies, also known as Christmas Lizzies, are little fruitcake-like cookies that blend candied fruit and Louisiana Pecans with a touch of Brandy held together with a little spiced batter.  I’m lucky to have these delicious, holiday cookies as part of my family traditions, as the entire family (as well as friends and neighbors) all look forward to Grammie’s Fruitcake Cookies, an adaptation of her sister's recipe for Christmas Lizzies. These fruitcake cookies are so flavorful, you won’t believe how simple they are to make. If you only make one kind of cookie for the holidays, Grammie’s Fruitcake Cookies are the one!

    several fruitcake cookies, or Christmas Lizzies, on a white plate
    Grammie's Fruitcake Cookies

    This post is not sponsored, but you will find affiliate links on this page. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The price you pay as a consumer does not change, but I may make a small commission based on your purchase.

    Here’s What You Need

    These cookies are mostly fruit and nuts held together with a little batter, almost mini-fruitcakes. 

    The batter

    • Butter (Salted butter is fine and margarine is a good substitute)
    • Light brown sugar
    • Whole eggs
    • All-purpose flour 
    • Baking soda

    The spices

    • Cinnamon
    • Ground nutmeg
    • Ground allspice (ground cloves is a good substitute)
      eggs, flour, baking soda, brown sugar and spices for fruitcake cookies
      Here's what you need for the batter

    The fruit and nuts

    • Dark raisins
    • Glazed fruit mix
    • Candied red cherries
    • Candied green cherries
    • Candied pineapples
    • Pecan halves
    • Cherry brandy (see Hints and Tips for substitutes)
      candies fruit for fruitcake cookies
      Candies cherries, pinannple and glazed fruit mix

    Equipment-wise, a stand mixer with a mixing bowl works well for this, but a handheld mixer could be used. Various prep and mixing bowls, cutting boards, cookie sheets and parchment paper are needed. 

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    Here’s What You Do

    First...you have a beer. The fun part of these traditional recipes is making them with friends and family. Grab a beer or a glass of wine, and put on some Holiday music. Read the recipe from start to finish and make sure you have everything you need and know what you’re going to do with them. Next, divide the tasks and start the preparation.  

    Preparation

    Place the butter in a bowl to soften and set aside.

    butter softening in the mixing bowl
    Soften the butter

    Chop the candied cherries in half and dice the candied pineapple. Place these, along with the Glazed Fruit Mix (which should already be diced) in a bowl and mix them all together. chopping candied fruit and placing them in a bowl In a separate bowl, soak the raisins in the cherry brandy until plump. This should be done for at least an hour but can go as long as overnight.

    dark raisins marinading in cherry randy in a measuring cup
    Marinate the raisins in cherry brandy

    Place the all-purpose flour in a prep bowl and mix in the spices and baking soda. Run all of this through a sifter.

    flour and spices sifted for fruitcake cookies
    Shift the flour, spices and baking soda

    Set out the eggs and measure the pecans and set them aside. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and prepare cooking sheets by lining with parchment paper.

    Mix the batter

    Using a stand mixer on medium speed, perform the following steps in order. 

    Place the softened butter into the mixing bowl and cream until it is fluffy.

    butter being creamed in a mixing bowl by a stand mixer for fruitcake cookies
    Cream the butter

    Once the butter is fluffy, gradually add the brown sugar until it is completely blended.

    adding a spoonful of light brown sugar to the mixing bowl for fruitcake cookies
    Add the brown sugar gradually

    Next add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.

    one egg added to mixing bowl for fruitcake cookies
    Add the eggs one at a time

    When the eggs are blended in completely, add the spiced flour a little at a time until it is completely mixed in.

    batter for fruitcake cookies on a mixing paddle
    Now we have the batter

    Next, turn off the stand mixer and clean the batter from the paddle. The rest will be mixed by hand.

    Add the fruit and nuts

    Add the marinated raisins (along with any residual cherry brandy) and the pecans into the bowl with the cut candied fruit and mix together completely.

    mixed candies fruit, rasins and nuts in a bowl for fruitcake cookies
    Combine the marinated raisins, candied fruits and pecans in a bowl

    In batches, add some of the raisin, nut and fruit mixture to the batter and mix with a spatula by hand until all the ingredients are completely blended before adding more. This will get pretty thick so take your time.

    blending the candied fruit with the batter in a bowl for fruitcake cookies
    Blend the mixed fruit and pecans into the batter

    Depending on the size of your mixer bowl, you may want to do this in a separate, larger bowl. Don’t add batter to the bowl with the fruit and nuts as this will be very hard to mix-add the fruit to the batter, a little at a time.

    fruitcake cookie batter and candied fruit mixed up
    All mixed up and ready for the cookie sheets

    Bake at 325 degrees

    Using a kitchen teaspoon, drop the cookie batter onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheets, keeping each cookie about 1 inch apart.

    fruitcake cookies on a cookie sheet ready for the oven
    Ready for the oven!

    Once all the cookies are laid out, place the baking sheets in a moderate oven (325 degrees) for 10 to 15 minutes until they are browned on top.

    fruitcake cookies on a baking sheet right from the oven
    Out of the oven when browned

    Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let cool for five minutes, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow to completely cool for at least 3 hours. Transferring to the cooling rack after a few minutes out of the oven will help to crisp the bottoms, which would be too soft if left on the baking sheets.

    fruitcake cookies on a cooling rack with a spatchula
    Transfer to a cooling rack

    That’s it, all there is to it. 

    Hints and Tips

    • Due to the high sugar content in the candied fruit, as well as the brandy, these cookies are very shelf-stable and can be stored in air-tight containers for about 6 months. These cookies can be frozen, if desired, by wrapping tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and placed in a freezer bag. Likewise, a vacuum sealer can be used. The fruit cookies will last in the freezer beyond 12 months. 
    • When these fruitcake cookies come out of the oven they are soft and somewhat sticky. Leave them on the cookie sheet for no more than five minutes, then move them to a cooling rack. Leave them on the cooling rack for at least three hours, maybe as much as five.  The fruitcake cookies will still be a little tacky, but should not stick together when you put them on a serving plate or cookie jar.
    • Cherry Brandy emphasizes the natural sweetness of candied fruit. Bourbon, Dark Rum, Brandy or Cognac could be substituted for the Cherry Brandy if desired. For a non-alcoholic substitute, try orange juice, pineapple juice or peach (or other fruit) syrup.
    • The history of fruitcakes goes back to the Middle Ages when they were developed as a preserved food for traveling soldiers and have been present in all cultures in one form or another since that time.  Learn more than you need to know about this quirky and much-maligned food. reading my article What You Need to Know about Fruitcake. 

    Fruitcake Cookies...mini-fruitcakes? Why would you want that? Its because they are delicious. The bricks-in-a-can sold at Walmarts and grocery stores are not fair representatives of the delicious, moist traditional fruitcakes have been embraced by diverse cultures for centuries. If you haven't tried one, check this out, I'm sure it will be your new Holiday tradition:

    Aunt Ellen’s Fruitcake
    Full of sweet candied and dried fruit marinated in cherry brandy, then mixed with nuts and a spiced batter that's baked to perfection. This is the holiday tradition that has lasted for centuries. If you haven't tried Fruitcake, this is the one to try. If you are a fruit cake lover, then you'll know this is the best!
    four fruit cakes on a cooling rack

     

    If you make this recipe, please tell us about it in the Comments section below and make sure to LEAVE A RATING ON THE RECIPE. Post a picture on our Facebook page or on Instagram with a #firstyouhaveabeer. Make sure to Pin it on Pinterest.  Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest and make sure to share this with your friends…they will love you for it. SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAIL UPDATES below so you don't miss anything!

    fruitcake cookies
    Grammie's Fruitcake Cookies-also known as Christmas Lizzies

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    Recipe

    several fruitcake cookies, or Christmas Lizzies on a white plate

    Fruitcake Cookies (Christmas Lizzies)

    Fruitcake Cookies, also known as Christmas Lizzies, are little fruitcake-like cookies that blend candied fruit and Louisiana Pecans with a touch of Brandy and held together with a little spiced batter. These fruitcake cookies are so flavorful, you won’t believe how simple they are to make. If you only make one kind of cookie for the holidays, Grammie’s Fruitcake Cookies are the one!
    4.86 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 1 hour hour
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cooling Time: 4 hours hours
    Total Time: 5 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 120 cookies
    Calories: 70kcal
    Author: Sweet Daddy D
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Here's What You Need

    • ¼ cup softened butter or margarine
    • ½ cup light brown sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 ½ cup flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon allspice
    • ½ pound raisins
    • ¼ cup cherry brandy See Recipe Notes
    • 1 pound pecan halves
    • ½ pound glazed fruit mix diced
    • 1 pound candied cherries sliced in half
    • ½ pound candied pineapples diced

    Here's What You Do

    Preparation

    • Set the butter or margarine out to soften.
    • Slice the candied cherries in half and dice the candied pineapple. Place these along with the glazed fruit mix, which should already be diced, in a bowl.
    • Soak the raisins in the cherry brandy until plump, at least an hour or up to overnight.
    • Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and baking soda to the flour and sift.
    • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and prepare cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper.

    Mix the batter

    • Set a stand mixer to medium speed.
    • Place the softened butter in the mixing bowl and cream until fluffy.
    • Once the butter is fluffy, gradually add the brown sugar until completely blended.
    • Add the eggs one at a time, completely blending each egg before adding the next.
    • When the eggs are completely blended, add the sifted flour and spices slowly to the butter, eggs and sugar mix. Completely blend each addition before adding the next.
    • Turn off the mixer, clean off the blade. The next steps will be mixed by hand.

    Add the fruit and nuts

    • Combine the soaked raisins, pecans and cut candied fruit in a bowl and mix together completely.
    • In batches, add some of the raisin, nut and fruit mixture to the batter and mix with a spatula by hand until all the ingredients are completely blended before adding more.
    • Continue until all the fruit and nut mixture is thoroughly combined with the batter.

    Bake at 325 degrees

    • Using a kitchen teaspoon, drop the cookie batter onto the cookie sheets, keeping each cookie about 1 inch apart. The cookies should be approximately 1 inch in diameter.
    • Bake in a moderate oven (325 degrees) for 10 to 15 minutes, until browned on top.
    • Remove the baking sheets from the oven and cool the cookies for five minutes on the cookie sheets, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow to completely cool for at least 3 hours. Don't rush the cooling rack time of the cookie bottoms will be soggy and the cookies will be sticky.
    • Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container.
    • Makes about 10 dozen cookies.

    Recipe Notes

    Due to the high sugar content in the candied fruit, as well as the brandy, these cookies are very shelf-stable and can be stored in air-tight containers for about 6 months. These cookies can be frozen, if desired, by wrapping tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and placed in a freezer bag. Likewise, a vacuum sealer can be used. The fruit cookies will last in the freezer beyond 12 months. 
    When these fruitcake cookies come out of the oven they are soft and somewhat sticky. Leave them on the cookie sheet for no more than five minutes, then move them to a cooling rack. Leave them on the cooling rack for at least three hours, maybe as much as five.  The fruitcake cookies will still be a little tacky, but should not stick together when you put them on a serving plate or cookie jar. 
    Cherry Brandy emphasizes the natural sweetness of the candied fruit. Bourbon, Dark Rum, Brandy or Cognac could be substituted for the Cherry Brandy if desired. For a non-alcoholic substitute, try orange juice, pineapple juice or peach (or other fruit) syrup.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Calories: 70kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 19IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
    Sweet Daddy D AKA Dave Howson

    It's Me!


    Louisiana is a wonderful place where the rich cultural heritage enriches and entertains. I'm Dave Howson, aka Sweet Daddy D. I'm glad you found my website and I look forward to exploring the cultural mosaic of Louisiana with you…
    read the "It's Me" page to find out more about me and this website…

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      4.86 from 7 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    1. Joe

      December 16, 2023 at 8:05 am

      My mom made these, we had them every Christmas, it was her old family receipt, She's been gone a long time and I would love to have them again, she used bourbon. Remind me of old times, so good.

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        December 16, 2023 at 9:10 am

        I'm glad they connect you back to your Mom. I'm sure substituting Bourbon would be very good. Thanks for the comment.

        Reply
    2. Lynn

      December 08, 2023 at 9:09 am

      5 stars
      My girlfriend and I started baking cookies three years ago … the fruitcake ones are my favorite by far… I have a question about the pecans. Do you leave the halves whole? I believe I’ve done a rough chop so they are about the size of the diced fruit

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        December 08, 2023 at 10:39 am

        Hi Lynn, Thanks for giving the cookies a try. I (and Grammy, who passed down the recipe) leave the pecan halves whole. I don't think it will harm anything if you give them a rough chop, particularly if all the ingredients are about the same size. Enjoy!

        Reply
    3. Cindy

      November 25, 2023 at 9:55 pm

      5 stars
      These cookies are AMAZING! I’ve searched for so long to find something that comes close to the way my grandmother’s fruitcake tasted and these cookies are like little bites of my childhood! They will become part of my yearly cookie baking and be on every tray of cookies I give away. So happy I found this!

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        November 26, 2023 at 12:44 pm

        Thank you so much. Cindy. Thanks for taking the time to tell me, you've made my day!

        Reply
    4. P Harrison

      December 15, 2022 at 10:28 am

      Know this sounds strange but……..can I ship them uncooked, just all dough packed in bags and foil?

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        December 15, 2022 at 10:48 am

        Hi Pat, thanks for the question. I would not recommend shipping the uncooked cookie mixture. Although that is not my expertise, I know that the mixed dough with the fruit and brandy is very sticky and would be challenging to package, but I would be most concerned about the raw eggs in the recipe. If there was a way to pack the dough in ice I would feel more comfortable, but other than that I'd stay away from shipping it uncooked. I know they are a breeze to ship once cooked.

        Reply
    5. Wanda

      March 20, 2022 at 7:22 pm

      5 stars
      Great cookies - true fruit cake taste. They are FULL of fruits and nuts. I used all candied fruit without the raisins and poured the brandy over the fruit and nut mixture. There is about three times the volume of fruits and nuts to dough. It doesn’t look like there’s enough dough but it works! I got about 150 small cookies.

      Reply
      • Wanda

        March 20, 2022 at 7:25 pm

        5 stars
        I also broke the pecans in half and cut the cherries is quarters which seemed better for the size of the cookies.

        Reply
        • Sweet Daddy D

          March 20, 2022 at 9:20 pm

          Great to hear from you, Wanda, I am so glad you like this recipe. The first time I ever made these I was concerned there was not enough dough, but once they are baked you have the perfect combination of fruits, nuts, brandy, and dough. Thanks for giving these a try!

          Reply
    6. Janice Miller

      September 21, 2021 at 5:06 pm

      Ive made these or years. I use bourbon and soak them overnight. Then I put bourbon in a spray bottle and lightly spray them every few days. You would be surprised how much they will soak up.

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        September 21, 2021 at 5:48 pm

        Bourbon sounds good! These Lizzies and the fruit cake recipe love to soak up the alcohol, for sure. Bourbon would be a great fit, as would some rums. Cherry Brandy works pretty well too! Thanks for reaching out, Janice!

        Reply
    7. Bonnie

      January 09, 2021 at 12:25 pm

      In recipe you say baking soda. In directions it says baking powder. Is it baking powder?

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        January 09, 2021 at 12:46 pm

        Hey Bonnie, thanks for the question. I can't believe I haven't caught that mistake before this. It is Baking SODA, not powder. I will go back and make that correction and I appreciate you calling it out.

        Reply
    8. k

      December 28, 2020 at 11:50 am

      Is one inch in diameter a typo? That’s less than one bite!

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        December 28, 2020 at 12:13 pm

        Hey, k. Not a typo but an estimation. The raw cookies will not be very uniform in shape when you lay them out on the baking sheet. They will spread a little while baking but I don't like to make them too big. If you go with 1 to 2 inches in diameter when laying them out, you will have a nice cookie that is bite-size or maybe 2 bites in size. If you like your fruitcake cookies a little larger, lay them out a little large. Thanks for the question.

        Reply
    9. Avis

      December 05, 2020 at 11:55 am

      Do you think I could make this in little loaf pans?

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        December 05, 2020 at 12:03 pm

        Hi Avis. There really isn't much dough involved here, which may cause a problem; it's mostly fruit with just enough dough to coat the fruit. Take a look at the Fruitcake Recipe...they are basically the same except the ratio of batter to fruit is different so that it bakes perfectly in little pans. However, I'm a fan of giving things a try so maybe increase the batter portion of the recipe somewhat and leave the fruit quantities the same. If you do it in a shallow pan, it may come out like a fruitcake bar which sounds great to me. Good luck, I'd love to know what you do.

        Reply
    10. Terry

      November 21, 2020 at 11:28 pm

      My MIL used to make these for Christmas every year! She gave me the recipe years ago, which I somehow lost in moves. She's in a care home now, but my DH begs for these every year. Can I make these without a stand mixer? She never had one. I seem to remember that she only used egg whites. Any thoughts and help would be so appreciated! I'd love to surprise him this year, as well as being able to surprise her with some, too!

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        November 22, 2020 at 11:23 am

        Hey Terry! I think it's great to resurrect family traditions. This recipe is just that for my family, something my MIL makes every year and the family cannot wait to get them. You should be able to substitute egg whites for whole eggs but it may affect how much the cookies rise. Since these don't normally rise a great deal while baking (as opposed to a cake) it may not matter much. Use two egg whites for each egg, so that would be a total of four egg whites. Here is a great article I found on substituting egg whites. You can certainly make these without a stand mixer. I only use the stand mixer for mixing the batter, that's the butter, eggs, flour and spices, which is the easy part. When adding the fruit I mix by hand anyway, which is a lot more work but so worth it. Just take your time when mixing the batter, a little at a time and mix it thoroughly before adding more ingredients. Good luck, thanks for the questions and I would love to hear how they turn out.

        Reply
      • Karen

        December 06, 2020 at 3:36 am

        Yes, you can make them without a stand mixer. That's just for convenience. Its a heavy dough. Just take your time. K

        Reply

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