Sister Georgette’s Fruit & Nut Holiday Cookies
You’ll need a very large bowl and a stand mixer with a paddle or flat beater attachment. As a child, I made these aided only by a wooden spoon, but it is a huge and tiring job of mixing by hand.—Sister Georgette.
Makes 5 dozen cookies.
Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup salted butter
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup buttermilk*
2 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup dried fruit** in any mixture you like
½ cup fresh cranberries finely chopped (If you can’t find fresh, substitute dried)
½ cup brandy or 1 tablespoon of vanilla***
Directions
- Mix dried fruits together and sprinkle the brandy or vanilla over the fruit, mix to moisten all the fruit, and allow to sit for an hour.
- Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Cream butter until fluffy.
- Add sugar. Continue to cream sugar with butter until fully incorporated.
- Add beaten eggs and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add dried fruit, with any of the brandy or vanilla left in the bowl. Mix well.
- Add the fresh (or dried) cranberries and mix well.
- Add nuts and mix well.
- Mix the dough by alternating adding a ½ cup of the dried ingredients with a bit of the buttermilk and mix well after each addition. Dough will be sticky.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (350°F)
- Use baking mats or a greased baking sheet.
- Drop by a level tablespoonful onto the baking sheet. Allow room between the cookies as they spread a bit.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes (the time varies due to the fruits you choose and whether you use brandy in the dough.)
- The cookies will be done when they turn a golden brown and have tiny cracks on the top surface and look lumpy. If lightly touched, they will resist a bit, and if you insert a toothpick, it will come out clean.
- Allow to rest on the baking sheet for 1–2 minutes.
- Remove cookies from baking sheet and then place on a linen towel or a cooling rack.
- Scrape any residue from the baking mats or sheet and grease the sheet again before adding fresh dough.
Notes
- *Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can pour a teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into a measuring cup and add enough milk to make a ½ cup. Set aside the mixture for ten minutes before adding it to the dough.
- **Dried Fruits: Suggested fruits: such as: apples, apricots, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, currants, peaches, pears. Dried citrus fruits, figs, mangoes, pineapple, plums and prunes will NOT work in this recipe. (Candied fruits can be used, but they make the cookies very sweet.)
- Suggestion: If you can find a Dried Mixed Berries Blend (8 ounces), a sweetened dried blend of cranberries, blueberries, cherries, and golden raisins, it works really well for this recipe, and I highly recommend it. I added ¼ cup chopped apricots and only ¾ cup raisins and the Mixed Berries Blend and dates to my cookies.
- ***Optional Brandy: If you don’t want to use brandy (I use applejack), you can use a tablespoon of vanilla or maple syrup, but be sure to sprinkle whichever liquid you choose over the dried fruit, allow to sit for an hour, and add any remaining liquid to the mixture.
- Storage: Use parchment paper or waxed paper to separate layers of cookies, as they will stick to each other, and place them in an airtight container. These cookies freeze well.
- Taste Testers: If you make Sister Georgette’s cookies and let me know your thoughts, I’ll thank you in the Acknowledgement section of my next book. Send your comments to: debra@DebraBorchert.com
- Let Sister Georgette know how you enjoyed her cookies, and Debra will thank you as a Taste Tester in her next book: debra@DebraBorchert.com
Thank you & Bon Appétit!
