Splash away, splash away, bourbon and all! The fruitcake cookie is having a ball. Why? Rather than serving as a festive doorstop, gifted and regifted from house to house, the fruitcake is guiding the sleigh this year at the Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks Headquarters.
I searched for a fruitcake cookie recipe that would be soft, chewy, sweet, and buttery. And then, I added bourbon. Typically, when I add booze to a recipe, I can’t taste it, but this time, I could, and it actually added a depth of flavor I really liked.
If you’re thinking, “Fruitcake? I’d rather sit on a hard metal folding chair in a gym and listen to confused and cranky third-graders deliver what they think is a banger of a rendition of ‘Go Tell it on the Mountain’ on their kazoos—” this fruitcake cookie recipe might change your mind.
Ingredients:
–1 box of yellow cake mix
–1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
–1/4 cup of chopped crystallized ginger
–1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
–1 tablespoon of grated orange peel
–1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
–1 egg
–2 tablespoons of water
–1/2 cup of melted butter
–1/4 cup of bourbon
–3/4 cup of chopped candied fruit
–1/2 cup of chopped pecans
Method:
–Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
–In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, orange peel, and nutmeg.
–In a small bowl, mix the egg, water, butter, and bourbon.
–Add the butter mixture to the cake mix bowl.
–Stir in the candied fruit and pecans.
–Use a cookie scoop to place the cookies onto a baking sheet.
–Bake for about 12 minutes.
Results:
I might add just a little more ginger for spice and maybe a little more of the candied fruit for color next time, but these cookies aren’t going to wait around for Santa. They’re going fast in our house, so I’d better stock up on cake mix and bourbon.
Serve them with:
–Hot buttered rum
–Kazoos
–Six geese a laying (that’s six more eggs for six more batches of cookies!)
–A side of holiday specials
–Snow pants
–Other refreshments at all the reindeer games
Your Turn: What’s a food that’s surprised you in a good way?
Fixin' Leaks and Leeks 
When I saw the “Fruitcake Cookies” title come across my email, I was expecting to be horrified. Your recipe doesn’t look half bad. I’d never heard of cake mix as a cookie base.
On another note, you posted a link to a sea shanty on one of your posts a while ago (years ago?) that I absolutely loved. I thought I’d saved the link, but when I looked for the link today, I couldn’t find it. And of course I couldn’t remember the title to be able to look for it on YouTube. Could you please point in in the right direction? Thanks! (I know this is a weird request. I’ve been in a weird writerly place this week.)
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Hope you get to try the recipe! Alas, I can’t find that post. I found references to sea shanties, but not the post itself. Did I link to this song, by any chance?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAmKqy-Vz6c Happy writing!!!
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Nope, not that one, although it is a classic.
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Hmmm… I’ll have to keep looking.
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I’d appreciate it, but please don’t go to a lot of trouble.
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Actually, that’s along the lines of what I thought as soon as I read your title. Fruit cake? Good stuff to pave roads with or keep by the door in case of intruders. But your recipe does look good, so I’m adjusting my attitude! Cheers.
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I hope you get to try it! It was fun to make, too. Cheers!
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Before I had to stop eating gluten, fruitcake was my favourite Christmas treat. I think it was the marzipan icing my gran used tbh😊
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I had no idea that fruitcake could have marzipan icing–that sounds AMAZING!!!!
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Fruitcake warmed in the microwave oven and served with ice cream and custard is almost as good as a proper Christmas pudding.
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Yum!!! And leftover fruitcake would make a fantastic bread pudding, too. Cheers!
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Hi. You ask an interesting question. For years I didn’t like wheat beers. Then, maybe about 15 years ago I gave them a second try. And they surprised me. I liked them. I guess my taste buds had become more open-minded!
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Ha! Years ago, Nate and I tried a cherry wheat beer, and it was so good. We can no longer find it, but we’ll always remember it. Cheers!
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Sounds good! I actually like fruit cake as long as it’s not too dry. And a strong cup of coffee alongside it makes it even better!
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That sounds cozy! 🙂
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These cookies must be wonderful for Christmas. About the surprising food, I really lige risotto with strawberries. Delicious
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That sounds delicious!
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