Holiday Fruitcake Cookies
Who loves Fruitcake? This holiday cookie recipe offers all the wonderful elements of a fruitcake without the heavy texture. Fruitcake Cookies are my new favorite cookie this year.
I’ve been working on many new holiday cookie recipes, but this one is the supreme winner, in my opinion.
Why?
I love everything in traditional fruitcake, but not the cake itself.
Rum, zippy winter spices, citrus zest, cherries and other fruit, nuts… I adore all those flavors.
Yet I can’t get over the density of a classic fruitcake, and those horrible green cherries.
So I took all the elements in a fruitcake and made light and bright Fruitcake Cookies.
Smart, right? I’m feeling pretty smart today.
It’s a unique holiday cookie recipe that tastes like heaven.
Fruitcake cookies are this week’s McCormick Seasonal Seven holiday cookie recipe featuring: Vanilla Extract, Cinnamon and Ginger, and Allspice.
Flavors that I believe resonate in our minds as holiday favorites.
The spices definitely give the dough that little extra something, every cookie needs.
As with all roll-out holiday cookie recipes, make sure to chill the dough before rolling and cutting into rings.
Then bake, cool and glaze.
While the glaze is still wet, press small chunks of dried fruit, nuts, and seeds on the top of the Fruitcake Cookies.
Beautiful!
Fruitcake Cookies
Ingredients
For the Fruit Cake Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon McCormick vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon McCormick ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon McCormick ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon McCormick ground allspice
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 large egg + 1 yolk
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
For the Rum Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon spiced rum
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
For the Top:
- 1 3/4 cup mixed dried fruit cut into small 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 1/4 cups chopped nuts/seeds I used pecans and pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy—3-5 minutes. Add the vanilla, spices, orange zest and egg + extra yolk, beat together. Slowly add the flour until just combined. Don't over mix.
- Dump the dough onto plastic wrap and wrap the dough well. Refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling out. Once the dough had chilled, flour a clean work surface, and break off a quarter of the dough, leaving the rest in the fridge. Roll the dough out evenly until 1/4-inch thick.
- Using a 2 to 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out the cookies. Use a small 1/2- to 3/4-inch cutter, or small bottle cap to cut out the centers. Collect the leftover dough re-roll and cut. Place on prepared cookie sheets, and repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Bake the cookies for 6-8 minutes, then allow them to cool on the cookies sheets another 2-3 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Cool completely before glazing.
- For the Rum Glaze: Whisk the powdered sugar, rum and cream together until smooth. Dip the tops of the cookies in glaze (or spread with a small spatula) and place back on the cooling rack.
- Mix the dried fruit and nuts together and press a small amount of the top of each cookie.
- Allow the glaze to dry thoroughly before moving.
What a fabulous idea! I just love it and they are so cute!!
I have to say I was skeptical with fruitcake in the title, but these look delicious!
My mother-in-law sent fruit cake to my husband from their home in England. He loves it. I am not thrilled with the idea of the cake itself but could eat a dozen of your cookies! Love how they look like little wreaths. What a nice idea!
These are so cute!!!!
I can’t never get enough of fruitcake during the Holidays but never had fruitcake cookies. Yum!
What a cute idea, Sommer.
What a clever idea Sommer! I love all the fruitcake toppings – I’m with you, I don’t like fruitcake, but give me the nuts and fruit!
No THIS is how I want to eat fruitcake every year. Looks amazing!!
Okay, I’m glad I’m not the only one who finds those green cherries frightening! Lol. These cookies are a fruit-cake I can get behind!
I don’t love fruit cake, but these cookies are a whole other story. Gimme!
Very cute! They are like flat little bundt cakes
Sommer, these cookies are brilliant… I say this because I’m usually on the fence about fruit cake, but this unique recipe in a cookie version might permanently tip me over to the favorable side. Love the cookie cutter choice too. Season’s greetings from NorCal!
I love these! YES – the dry texture, and the candied fruits. Those candied fruits in a tub are an abomination! These, on the other hand, just look absolutely fantastic and festive. Love that they’re in ring shapes. So clever.
Such a smart idea, Sommer! My husband is one of those weird guys that ADORES fruit cake. He’ll eat it all year long if he can find it/force me to make it. With these cookies, I think we’d both end up happy.
Amber that IS rare! I’d love to hear what he thinks about these. :)
I love how festive these cookies are! They look great!
So funny….I must have been reading your blog at the same time you were reading mine! I love that!
These cookies are SUCH a great idea! Love them!
I feel the same way about fruitcake! These look much, much better. :)
love these Sommer! What a great holiday gift