Orange Glazed Fruit Chews

Submitted by grandma2969

"The secret ingredient in these cookies are prunes..delicious!!"

 

• Ready In: 33mins
• Ingredients: 19
• Yields: 45 cookies

ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
• 2⁄3 cup orange juice
• 1 1⁄2 cups chopped pitted prunes
• 1⁄2 cup golden raisin
• 3 1⁄2 cups all-purpose white flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cut in chunks
• 1 2⁄3 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

• ORANGE GLAZE

• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted after measuring if lumpy
• 1⁄2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 3 1⁄2 tablespoons orange juice, plus more if needed
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350*.
2. Grease several baking sheets or spray with nonstick spray.
3. In a large saucepan, combine the orange zest, orange juice, prunes and raisins.Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the fruit rehydrates and the juice is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let stand until cooled to warm.
4. In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cloves, set aside. Add the butter and brown sugar to the fruit mixture and stir until the butter melts and the ingredients are well blended. Add the egg and vanilla and stir until evenly incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture and walnuts, is using, until evenly incorporated.
5. Drop the dough by golf ball size mounds onto the baking sheet, spacing about 2 1/2" apart. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, in the upper third of the oven -- for 10-13 minutes or until tinged with brown and just barely firm in the centers. Reverse the sheet from back to front halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning. Transfer the sheet to a wire rack until cookies firm up slightly.2 minutes.
6. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to wire racks. Let stand until cooled to warm.

7. GLAZE:

8. In a medium bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice and vanilla to form a fluid icing. if necessary, thin it with a little more orange juice. Set the racks on wax paper to catch drips, dip the tops of warm cookies into the glaze until coated. Shake off the excess. Return cookies to rack and let stand until the galze completely sets -- at least 1 1/2 hours. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. or freeze up to 1 month.