~*~*~*~ Fruit Cake Cookies ~*~*~*~

Great gift giving idea!

Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 cup candied cherries
1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup mixed candied fruits and peels

Preparation:
Cream shortening and sugar until light. Add egg and beat until well blended. Reserving a little of the flour to toss with the fruit. Combine remaining flour with the salt and soda. Add the dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk. Toss fruits with the reserved flour. Fold in the floured fruits and chopped pecans. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheets, leaving 1 1/2 to 2 inches between cookies. Bake at 400° for 8 to 13 minutes, depending on size of cookies. Makes from 3 to 5 dozen fruit cake cookies. Store in an airtight container.

In case you ever wondered ... the origin of Fruit Cake ... the earliest recipe from ancient Rome lists pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and raisins that were mixed into barley mash. In the Middle Ages, honey, spices and preserved fruits were added, and the name "fruitcake" was first used. Fruitcakes soon began showing up all over Europe; however, recipes varied greatly in different countries throughout the ages, depending on the available ingredients as well as church regulations forbidding the use of butter. Pope Innocent VIII (1432-1492) finally granted the use of butter, in a written permission known as the 'Butter Letter' or 'Butterbrief.' Starting in the 16th century, sugar from the American Colonies (and the discovery that high concentrations of sugar could preserve fruits) created an excess of candied fruit, thus making fruitcakes more affordable and popular.

Now you know all there is to know about Fruit Cakes ... share your knowledge with the family this Holiday Season!

~ Chef Wilkinson ~