Southern Fruitcake Cookies

Mama was not much for making fruit cake at Christmas. I don't know if it was the stigma some folks give to fruitcakes, the fact that we never seemed to eat and entire cake, or making them became too labor intensive. She did make a few over the years, but soon settled into making Fruit Cake Cookies. We loved them. They were easy to sneak between meals when Cliff and I were children, and quick to grab and dash as teenagers. Mama often took them to church "doings" and made the to give to friends and neighbors and had them on had for drop in company over the holiday season. As Cliff and I grew up and had children of our own. "Nanette's" Christmas cookies became something they looked forward to at the holidays. I don't think she has made any this year, so I better give her a prompt. Here is her recipe. I hope your family and friends enjoy them as much as we do.

Southern Fruit Cake Cookies

1/2 cup butter (softened)

1 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chopped dates (optional)

½ cup chopped candied red cherries

½ cup chopped green cherries

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Then, add egg and mix.

In a separate (and smaller) bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and soda.

Alternate pouring the flour mixture and the buttermilk in with the butter/sugar in the large mixing bowl.

Sprinkled in the cinnamon and nutmeg and mix.

Use a large spoon to stir in the nuts, dates and cherries. Mix until nuts and fruits are evenly distributed and well coated.

Grease a cookie sheet with Crisco.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet.

It's a good idea to have cookie pans to rotate. Cookies work out better when they are put on a cold pan and then into a hot oven. If they are placed on a hot pan, then they may spread out too much and not be as soft.

Bake at 325 degrees F in a preheated oven for around 15 minutes. Oven times do vary, so watch the first batch. Cookies should be lightly browned.

Store in an air tight container.

Yield 2 to 3 dozen cookies (depending o the size)