Fruit Drop Cookies

Submitted by cathyfood

"This was my Aunt Margaret K. Sims' specialty! She made them by the hundreds for Christmas gifts. A tin of her cookies was always a favorite holiday treat. Aunt M always added flour to everything she baked, even cake mix. So add an extra third to half cup of flour to this mixture, and your cookies will turn out nice and mounded. As is, they spread out quite a bit."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 40mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Yields: 6 dozen
• Serves: 72

ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1⁄2 cup buttermilk or 1/2 cup water
• 1 1⁄2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
• 2 cups candied cherries, cut in half
• 2 cups cut-up dates
• 3 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

directions

1. Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs.
2. Stir in buttermilk or water.
3. Blend dry ingredients, stir into egg mixture.
4. Add fruit and nuts, stir into batter.
5. Chill batter at least 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
7. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until almost no print remains when touched.
8. Remove to rack to cool. Cool completely before storing in tins or sealed plastic bins, with wax paper between layers to prevent sticking.