Christmas Fruitcake Hermits
The Christmas holiday season always reminds me of how much work and effort my Mom put into baking goodies. She made fruit cakes, plum puddings, cookies of many varieties, pies, chocolates, savory tidbits. It seemed the house was forever enveloped in beautiful cooking aromas. This season I seem to be taking a page out of Mom’s book and have been baking more than usual. I enjoyed making these cookies but in all the years I’ve been baking, I never seem to get to the amount the recipe says will yield. Perhaps the cookies I make are a bit on the large size?
Makes about 84 cookies
recipe adapted from Canadian Living
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1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (125 mL) shortening
1 cup (250 mL) packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon rum extract
2-1/2cups cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (250 mL) red and/or green cherries or green candied cherries, quartered
1 cup (250 mL) raisins
1 cup (250 mL) candied citrus peel
3/4 cup (175 mL) coarsely chopped pecans
about 3 cups (750ml) pecan halves, optional
Rum Glaze (optional):
1 1/3 cups (325 mL) icing sugar
3 tablespoon amber rum
In large bowl, beat together butter, shortening and brown sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in rum extract.
In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda and salt; stir into butter mixture in 3 additions. Stir in cherries, raisins, citrus peel and chopped pecans.
Drop by 1 tablespoon, 2 inches (5 cm) apart, onto parchment paper–lined baking sheets. Press pecan half (if using) onto each. Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven until bottoms are golden brown but centres are still soft, about 14 minutes. Transfer to racks; let cool completely.
Rum Glaze: In bowl, stir icing sugar with rum until smooth; drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon over each cooled cookie. Let dry until set, about 10 minutes.
The Culinary Chase’s Note: Fruit cake is something I usually make for Christmas but this year I didn’t so these little gems are a lovely substitute!