Fruitcake Cookies
37 min
|
easy
|
vegetarian
Recipe by Eunice
Introduction
Forget the doorstop cake; these fruitcake cookies are buttery, brown-sugary, and loaded with candied fruit and golden raisins, giving you chewy centers, light crunch on the edges, and holiday warmth without the wait.
They are clutch for cookie swaps, gift tins, and make-ahead snacking because they keep well and travel like champs, and even the fruitcake skeptics will come back for seconds.
Ingredients (36 servings)
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Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened unsalted butter 8 oz
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed light brown sugar 6.87 oz
- 2 large eggs large eggs 2 ct
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract pure vanilla extract 1 tsp
- 2 cups all-purpose flour all-purpose flour 0.55 lb
- ½ tsp baking soda baking soda 0.08 oz
- ½ tsp salt salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional) ground cinnamon 0.09 oz
- 1½ cups candied fruitcake mix candied fruitcake mix 0.75 lb
- 1 cup golden raisins (chopped if large) golden raisins 5 oz
How to Make Fruitcake Cookies
-
Prep pans and ingredients
Heat the oven to 350 F and line two sheet pans with parchment.
Chop any oversized raisins so everything is roughly pea-sized for even distribution.
Reserve 1 tablespoon of the flour to dust the fruit so it does not sink.
-
Cream butter and sugar
Beat the softened butter and packed brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl once.
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Add eggs and vanilla
Beat in the eggs one at a time until fully absorbed and glossy.
Mix in the vanilla just to combine.
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Combine dry ingredients
In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon if using.
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Make the dough
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low until the flour is mostly incorporated and a few streaks remain.
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Fold in fruit
Toss the candied fruit mix and golden raisins with the reserved tablespoon of flour.
Fold them into the dough by hand with a spatula until evenly distributed without overmixing.
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Chill the dough
Cover and chill the bowl for 30 to 60 minutes to firm the butter for better shape and crisper edges.
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Scoop and bake
Scoop heaping tablespoon portions, about 1 ounce each, spacing 2 inches apart on the prepared pans.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden and the centers look just set.
Rotate the pans front to back at the 8 minute mark for even coloring.
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Cool properly
Let cookies rest on the pan for 5 minutes to finish setting.
Transfer to a rack to cool completely for the best chew.
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Optional finish
For a festive touch, glaze cooled cookies with a quick rum-orange icing made from 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 to 2 tablespoons dark rum, and 1 tablespoon orange juice whisked smooth.
Let the glaze set before storing.
Substitutions
- Candied fruitcake mix -> mixed dried fruit with citrus zest
- Use a mix of chopped dried apricots, tart cherries, pineapple, and a teaspoon of fresh orange or lemon zest for bright aroma and less candy-sweet intensity while keeping those jewel colors and a satisfying chew.
- Golden raisins -> chopped dried apricots or dried cranberries
- Apricots keep a sunny color and tender bite similar to golden raisins, while cranberries add ruby pops of tang that balance the buttery dough and brown sugar.
- All-purpose flour -> 1:1 gluten-free baking flour
- A quality cup-for-cup gluten-free blend with xanthan holds structure well, especially if you chill the dough on the longer end and bake on parchment for a minute less to preserve moisture.
Tips
- Butter temperature matters
- Aim for butter around 65 F so it creams aerated but not greasy, which gives lift without overspreading.
- Flour the fruit lightly
- Tossing mix-ins with a spoon of flour keeps them suspended so every bite has goodies instead of a fruit-heavy bottom.
- Do not overmix after adding flour
- Stop mixing when the last streaks of flour vanish because overworking develops gluten and turns tender cookies cakey.
- Bake by color, not the clock
- Pull cookies when edges are golden and centers look just set since carryover heat finishes them and keeps the centers chewy.
- Use a cookie scoop for control
- A #40 scoop makes uniform 1 ounce portions so every cookie bakes evenly and you do not play musical chairs with hot pans.
- Resting improves flavor
- Let baked cookies or even the dough rest 24 hours in the fridge so the brown sugar and fruit mingle for deeper, fruitcake-like complexity.
Nutrition Facts *
| Energy | 141 | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 2 | g |
| Total Fat | 5 | g |
| Carbohydrates | 21 | g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 | g |
* Approximate, per serving.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central.
FAQ
- Why did my cookies spread too much?
- The dough was likely too warm or the butter over-softened, so chill 30 to 60 minutes and keep scoops cold between batches, or add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour if the dough still looks glossy and loose.
- My cookies are dry or cakey, what happened?
- Too much flour or overbaking are the usual culprits, so spoon and level the flour rather than packing it and pull the cookies when the edges color but the centers are pale and just set.
- How do I keep the fruit from sinking or bleeding syrup?
- Pat sticky fruit dry, chop to pea size, and toss with a little flour before folding in so it distributes evenly and does not leak sugar onto the pan.
- The bottoms browned too fast, how can I fix that?
- Use light-colored pans lined with parchment, bake one sheet at a time on the center rack, and if your oven runs hot double-pan by nesting one sheet inside another.
- Can I add nuts without messing up the texture?
- Yes, fold in 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans or walnuts with the fruit and keep total mix-ins to about 2 1/2 cups so the dough can still bind.
- How do I store or freeze these cookies?
- Store airtight at room temperature up to 5 days with parchment between layers, or freeze scooped dough balls or baked cookies up to 2 months and bake frozen dough adding 1 to 2 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Holiday party or coffee break, these gems love a quick rum-orange glaze, a pinch of flaky salt, or a dip in dark chocolate to play up that brown sugar butter vibe.
Serve with black tea, espresso, or a little nip of tawny port, and do not be shy about folding in toasted pecans if you want more crunch without losing that chewy center.
More pairings:
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