A Different Kind of Cookie

I saw Barefoot Contessa make these on her show and thought they looked pretty good. I was looking for a cookie that was a little different. These are like fruit cake but in cookie form. To be honest I've never even tried fruit cake before. I know it gets a bad wrap but it definitely is festive and from the reviews I read everyone seemed to love these, and they were a great alternative to fruitcake. They were flaky and crispy from the butter and chewy from the fruit and not too sweet. Worth a try if you are looking for something a little different and fun.

A few comments:

- I'm not a fan of cherries so I used cranberries instead, I think the cherry flavor can be a bit over powering so I would recommend cranberries.

- I added a little less cloves because its such a strong spice and added a little nutmeg and cinnamon to make it more holidayish.

- I used walnuts because that's what I had, it was good.

- Plan ahead because you need to let the fruit sit overnight in prepared liquid.

Dried Fruit Cookies

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1/2 pound dried figs
• 1/4 pound raisins
• 2 ounces candied cherries, coarsely chopped
• 2 ounces dried apricots, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 6 ounces chopped pecans
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 extra-large egg
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

Snip off the hard stems of the figs with scissors or a small knife and coarsely chop the figs. In a medium bowl, combine the figs, raisins, cherries, apricots, honey, sherry, lemon juice, pecans, and a pinch of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight at room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cloves, superfine sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg and mix until incorporated. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt just until combined. Don't overmix! Add the fruits and nuts, including any liquid in the bowl. Divide the dough in half and place each half on the long edge of a 12 by 18-inch piece of parchment or waxed paper. Roll each half into a log, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4-inch thick, making an 18-inch-long roll. Refrigerate the dough for several hours, or until firm.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

With a small, sharp knife, cut the logs into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place the slices 1/2-inch apart on ungreased sheet pans and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden.

link to recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/dried-fruit-cookies-recipe/index.html

-S