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!
Estimated Time 5 hourshours15 minutesminutes
Servings 120cookies
Here's What You Need
¼cupsoftened butter - or margarine
½cuplight brown sugar
2eggs
1 ½cupflour
1 ½teaspoonbaking soda
1 ½teaspooncinnamon
½teaspoonnutmeg
½teaspoonallspice
½poundraisins
¼cupcherry brandy - See Recipe Notes
1poundpecan halves
½poundglazed fruit mix - diced
1poundcandied cherries - sliced in half
½poundcandied 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.
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.