Kc's Fruitcake Drops

All the flavors of a traditional fruitcake packed into a drop cookie that bakes in 12 minutes instead of hours. Chopped dates, candied cherries, candied pineapple, and mixed candied fruit get folded into a brandy-spiked cinnamon butter dough with almonds or walnuts for crunch.

The ratio here is more fruit and nuts than batter, which is exactly how a good fruitcake should work. The dough is just enough to bind everything together into rounded teaspoon-sized drops.

These are ideal for holiday cookie trays when you want that fruitcake flavor without committing to a full loaf that takes weeks to age. They’re ready to eat the day you bake them.

Pro Tips

• Chop all the candied fruit and dates before you start. Once the dough is mixed, you need to fold everything in quickly before it stiffens.
• Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls, not tablespoons. These are meant to be small, jewel-like bites.
• Store in an airtight container immediately after cooling. The recipe warns these dry out and harden quickly, and it’s true. A slice of bread in the container helps keep them soft.
• A splash of brandy brushed on the cooled cookies intensifies the flavor if you want more boozy punch.

Variations

• Rum version: Swap brandy for dark rum for a Caribbean-style fruitcake cookie.
• Chocolate-dipped: Dip the bottoms of cooled cookies in melted dark chocolate for a fancier holiday tin presentation.