I am not a fruitcake apologist. I am fine with it being joked about, scorned, ignored, used as a doorstop or forgotten completely. We are not a fruitcake family and I am not a fruitcake fan.
I was not raised around anyone who got excited about it, made it, gifted it at Christmas or appreciated it in any way at all. Despite that, I have been drawn to sample it many times over the course of my life. Like a moth to a flame, there is just something about all that color and texture; I am a glutton for disappointment where fruitcake is concerned.
So you might find it confusing when I tell you that I love these Christmas cookies, aka “Lizzies.” I would not have thought it perplexing several weeks ago or wondered myself if it was contradictory to dislike fruitcake and truly love these cookies, but that was before I knew that Lizzies are often called Fruitcake Cookies! What? How did I not know that? I feel betrayed, not to mention naive.
With only enough dough to hold together an overflowing medley of dried fruits and nuts, these are the holiday cookies my grandmother, Frannie, made popular over the course of her life and that I am just crazy about. I see the similarities, now, especially if you choose to make them with bright candied cherries, which I do not generally do, preferring a simpler sweetened, dried variety. But these are no cookie-sized mini-fruitcakes. There are no green bits, whatever those candied fruits are that masquerade in that not-found-in-nature shade of rye-grass green. They are delicious, addictive and absolutely wonderful.
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I cannot say these delightful beauties bring me back to my childhood because they are a grown-up treat with a healthy dose of of booze. When I made a batch this past weekend, my husband could not stay out of them. (No judgement, I could not either.) After eating a few, he said, “Four of those might get you a DUI,” and I laughed but wondered if he might be right. They cook in a low oven for not terribly long, so perhaps more than just the flavor of the brandy or bourbon remains in the final product. I will save that research for another season. In the final stretch of holiday-ing, no need to speculate over that small detail.
If you like fruitcake, Frannie’s Lizzies nod back just enough to taste reminiscent. If you do not, you will find them most unique and quintessentially “Christmas.” They are a holiday tradition here at the Hutchings house.
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Ingredients
1 stick butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup bourbon, brandy, sherry or cognac
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound chopped dates
1/2 pound candied or sweetened cherries
1 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/3 cups unsweetened coconut
1/8 to 1/4 cup flour
Directions
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Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat slowly to incorporate.
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Add the liquor and mix well. Set aside.
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Whisk 2 cups flour with baking soda and salt until well combined. Set aside.
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Combine all fruits and nuts, then work in remaining 1/8 to 1/4 cup flour to coat to prevent sticking together. Set aside.
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Preheat oven to 250F.
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Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Then add fruit and nut mixture. I use my hands for this (using disposable gloves).
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Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheet.
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Bake at 250F for 30 to 35 minutes or until just to a light golden brown.
Cook's Notes
Gluten-free: Because there is so much chopped fruit and nuts in these cookies, I have not had great luck using a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. I have, however, used alternative whole flours, like sorghum, with success. I believe the problem with using a One-To-One GF flour replacement is that there is not enough moisture in these cookies to handle the additional starches that are in these blends.
Sweetness — Cherries & Coconut: My grandmother’s recipe specifies candied cherries and Angel Flake coconut. I prefer simply “sweetened” cherries, that I purchase from my local health food store and are available year-round and unsweetened coconut. Candied cherries are significantly sweeter and brighter, which makes a sweeter, more brightly studded cookie. For my family a more natural cookie with a bit less sugar-punch is preferred. The colors are still festive just a little toned down.
Bake Time: Do not over bake these cookies; they will dry out. I find mine are usually ready after 30 minutes. The bottoms should look slightly toasted and the tops golden brown.
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