Holiday Fruit Drops

Why wait for the holidays to make a chewy, fruit and nut packed homemade cookie? They're delicious.

Yield: about 8 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups candied cherries, cut in half
• 2 cups chopped dates
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• Pecan halves, if desired

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening, buttermilk and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until blended, or mix with spoon.
2. Gradually stir in flour, baking soda and salt.
3. Stir in cherries, dates and chopped pecans.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
6. Grease cookie sheet.
7. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonsful about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet.
8. Place a pecan half on each cookie.
9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched lightly.
10. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Notes

Substitution: Mix 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar + enough milk to make 1/2 cup to use for the buttermilk.

Do-Ahead: Cookie dough can be covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking. If it's too firm, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: Calories 85 (Calories from Fat 35); Total Fat 4g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat ncg); Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 45mg; Total Carbohydrate 12g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars ncg); Protein 1g

Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 2%

Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: nc

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: Betty Crocker