These fruitcake cookies are soft, chewy, and incredibly tasty making them an irresistible addition to the holidays! With a tender cookie base and lots of chewy mixed fruit peel, candied cherries, and raisins scattered throughout, these cookies are a real treat. They make a fantastic addition to any cookie exchange or gift basket at Christmas time, too!
2cupsmixed peel(see my recipe or use store bought)
½cupglace cherries(red and green candied cherries, quartered or chopped)
¼cupraisins
Help Us Out!If you love a recipe, be sure to come back and share your ratings. This helps future users, and allows me to continue sharing free recipes! Angela
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or silicone baking mats for easy cleanup.
Add the butter, sugar, and light brown sugar to a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer. Cream the ingredients together until smooth. Add the vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt and mix again.
Mix in the eggs one at a time until the dough is smooth. Then, gradually add the flour, mixing until it has all been incorporated into the dough. Finally, fold in the mixed peel, candied cherries, and raisins until well combined.
Use a cookie scoop or a spoon to portion out the dough in heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet(s). Leave 2 inches between each cookie to account for spreading.
Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 8-11 minutes, or just until the edges start turning golden-brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them set on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
You can make these cookies your own by using different types of dried or candied fruits and nuts or even coconut. Chopped dates, apricots, walnuts, or pecans are some of my favorite additions!
If desired, you may add 1-2 tablespoons of brandy, bourbon, whiskey, or sherry to your cookie dough before adding the eggs. The mixed peel will absorb some of the flavor and aroma of the alcohol, giving your cookies an extra level of flavor.
If your cookies look soft and somewhat under-baked in the middle, that's fine. The cookies will to continue to firm up some once they are removed from the oven as they will continue to cook on the baking sheet. This will give you a delightfully soft and chewy cookie!
To store: Keep your fruitcake cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerated for 1 week.
To freeze: You may also freeze your cookies by placing them in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw them out at room temperature before eating and enjoy them within 3 months. To freeze the unbaked dough, portion heaping tablespoons onto a baking sheet and freeze it. Once frozen, you may transfer the mounds of dough to a freezer bag with a sheet of parchment paper between each layer. Bake as directed, but plan to add 10 minutes or so to the total time if starting with frozen dough. Check out my post, how to freeze cookie dough, for more tips.
baking ideas for Christmas cookies, best fruitcake cookies recipe, Christmas Cookies, easy desserts, Fruitcake Cookies, fruitcake cookies ingredients, glace cherry cookies, holiday baking ideas, holiday cookies using fruitcake blend, how to make fruitcake cookies
Course Christmas Cookies, Cookies & Bars Recipes, Dessert