Chef's Notes
These were a creation of my great Grandmother as something to do with left over fruit from making traditional fruit cake. It was like pulling teeth to get my mother who is the holder of the recipe to figure out the fruit ratio just for just doing these cookies. Her recipe is based on cookies and cake all together and I still had fruit to make three batches of these fabulous little wonders thou I’ve cut down the ratio for this recipe.
Step 1: Cut up dates
- 150 grams of pitted dates
Cut the dates into small pieces about the size of a raisin.
Step 2: Chop the peel
- 115 grams of mixed peel
This comes already diced from the supermarket but it’s very strong so I put it through the food processor to make very small pieces.
Step 3: Chop cherries
- 150 grams green cherrys
- 150 grams red cherrys
I use an equal amount green and red cherries just because it looks nice in the cookie and it’s the way mom does it. I put this through the food processor as well and chop them to small pieces thou mom uses her kitchen shears to cut them up.
Step 4: Mix the fruit
- 225 grams dark sultan raisins
- 115 grams light raisins
- 2 tbs flour
Have your raisins in a good size bowl and fold in the two colours of cherries, mixed peel and cut up dates. Mix this till all the fruit is well blended through out. Put a light dusting of flour over the top and stir it through and this will keep the fruit from sticking to itself.
Step 5: Start the dough
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp rum flavor
Whip up the butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs and beat well. Dissolve the baking soda in a bit of warm water and add to the batter. Add the spices, and flavorings and salt and beat well.
Step 6: Add the flour
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup orange juice
With a large spoon start to work in the flour a bit at a time. When it gets too dry to mix add a bit of fresh squeezed orange juice to loosen up the batter.
Step 7: Fold in the fruit
This dough should be a little looser than traditional cookie dough. Mix the fruit in about a cup at a time till well distributed through the batter. It will basically be all fruit with a bit of batter holding it all together.
Step 8: Ready to bake
Preheat the oven to 325.
Using a couple spoons. Scoop up about a tablespoon full and use the other spoon to drop the batter on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for between 15 to 18 minutes. Place on a cooling rack and once cool store in a tight sealing container to keep moist.