Fruitcake Drops
It would just not seem like the holidays unless I had a few fruitcake cookies in each box of cookies. I do not make traditional fruitcakes since a little fruit cake really does go a long way, but a soft cookie with the flavor of fruitcake is always most welcome. These cookies are great plain, or you can drizzle white chocolate on top of them as described below. I also prefer to use apricot brandy in these cookies, but any plain or flavored brandy can be used. I prefer not putting chopped citron or citrus peels in these cookies, it makes them more kid friendly.

1 cup softened unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
1 tablespoon apricot brandy
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped almonds
2 cups chopped red and green candied cherries
3 ounces high quality white chocolate

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses, brandy, extracts, and eggs until smooth and creamy. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and oats. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend well. Fold in the raisins, pecans, almonds, and cherries until combined. Drop 2 inches apart by the tablespoonful onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until set. Transfer to a wire rack and cool. In the top of a double boiler or microwave melt the white chocolate until smooth. Drizzle a little bit of chocolate onto each cookie.

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These chewy spicy cookies can be decorated in many different ways. They can be left plain, frosted with a simple vanilla glaze, dusted with almonds, topped with candied fruit, or in my favorite manner which is described below. These make beautiful cookies with a rich flavor that develops over time. These cookies are best made two weeks ahead of time, even though I usually filch one or two hot out of the oven.

3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped candied citron
1/2 cup chopped candied lemon and/or orange peel
1/2 cup chopped candied cherries
1 cup chopped almonds

For decorating:
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
milk
candied cherries, halved
sliced almonds

In a large saucepan bring the honey to a boil. Remove from the heat and beat in the brown sugar. In a small bowl beat the egg. Add a teaspoon of the honey mixture to the egg and beat rapidly. Add the egg mixture to the saucepan and beat. Add the lemon juice and zest. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and salt. Blend into the honey mixture until well incorporated. Fold in the candied fruit and almonds. Place the dough in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Chill for 48 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface a 1/4 inch thick. Cut the cookies with a 2 inch circular cutter and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges just start to turn pale golden brown. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then finish cooling on wire racks. Once all of the cookies are cooled, mix the powder sugar with the extracts in a small bowl. Add enough milk to form a thin glaze. Place a teaspoonful of glaze on each cookie and spread with the back of a spoon, only coating a few cookies at a time. Place a candied cherry half in the center of each cookie and fan out the almond slices around the cherry half to form “flowers” Let dry overnight, then tightly wrap in an airtight container. Let mature for two weeks before eating.

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1 cup softened unsalted butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons brandy
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely chopped blanched almonds
2 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
whole cloves
powdered sugar

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk, brandy and vanilla until very light and smooth. Stir in the almonds. In a small bowl whisk together the flour and baking powder.
Blend the flour mixture into the butter mixture until a soft, smooth dough forms. Tightly wrap with plastic wrap and chill for one hour. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
On a lightly floured surface shape the dough by the tablespoonful into crescents. Place the crescents one inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets and press a whole clove into each cookie. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes or until light golden. Cookies should not brown. Remove immediately from cookie sheets and cool on wire racks completely. Dust with powdered sugar.

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2/3 cup softened unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 large eggs
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
8 ounces cranberry flavored hard candies, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease cookie sheets. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in the extracts and eggs and mix until well blended. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the milk. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with large cooki cutters into assorted shapes. With small cookie or aspic cutters cut shapes out of the larger cookies. Carefully place the cookies on the prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle the crushed candies into each whole. Bake the cookies for about six minutes, or until the candy melts. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, or until the candy hardens. Carefully lift cookies off baking sheet with spatula and finish cooling on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

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Ingredients for Black Bean Cornbread:
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
2 to 4 tablespoons evaporated cane juice sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 cup (cooked) black beans

Method:
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Spray a 9X9 inch baking dish with canola or olive oil spray and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and sea salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk, melted butter, cheese, green onions, corn and black beans. Stir in any optional ingredients desired. Add to the dry ingredients, blending until just combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until done when tested with a toothpick.
Cool on a rack for 15 minutes.

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