This post contains our family’s holiday favorite-Jean’s fruitcake cookies!
Hello friends! Today I’m bringing you one of our family’s favorite cookie recipes. Well, actually it’s my sister-in-law Jean’s recipe, and before you think that these cookies are anything like the much maligned fruitcake, then you are sooooo wrong! These are fantastic and all those folks that swear that they won’t eat fruitcake can’t stop eating these!
You’ve heard about the Great Fruitcake Toss, haven’ t you, where people toss those dry bricks of cake into oblivion? Well, the only place I’ll toss these cookies is into my mouth! Which I have been doing all week since Jean and I baked these for the virtual cookie exchange hosted by the lovely Barb at The Everyday Home.
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All this week 29 other bloggers and I are bringing you our favorite cookie recipes. You can click on the list at the end of this post to check out everybody’s recipes.
This is my sister-in-law Jean. Ever since she and I have been coming to the Crossroads for Christmas Eve, Jean has been bringing her fruitcake cookies. And she would always make extras and put them into pretty packages for us to enjoy later, too.
Jean has been making these cookies for years. When Jean was growing up, her mother always made one of the best homemade fruitcakes for as long as she can remember. As an adult, Jean used her mother’s recipe and started making fruitcakes herself. But one year her neighbor made some fruitcake cookies, and ever since she tasted them, she has never made another fruitcake again. Everybody, even Jean’s children and grandchildren eat them and always look forward to Christmas because they know that Jean will always bake these fruitcake cookies.
The year that Jean and her husband Jim moved to the Crossroads, she lost the original recipe. She tried another recipe, but it just. wasn’t. the. same. But luckily her sister had a copy of the recipe and wrote it down and sent it to Jean. 
So Jean and I got into her kitchen this past Saturday and baked a batch of these cookies-just so we could bring you this recipe in time for you to make some this year!
To make these cookies, you will need 2 sticks of softened butter, 3 eggs, 1 cup brown sugar, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 cup milk.
You will also need 8 ounces each of red and green candied cherries and 6 slices of candied pineapple, all cut up into bite-size pieces. And you will need 4-5 cups of chopped pecans and 3/4 cup golden raisins. With these ingredients, this is an expensive cookie, but the recipe makes at least 90-100 cookies. Plenty for gift giving and some for yourself.
Don’t worry about writing down this recipe! I’ve made a printable version for ya! (It’s near the end of this post.)
The first thing you will need to do is to cream the butter and brown sugar with a mixer and preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.
Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the creamed butter and sugar.
Mix all this together for several minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure the flour is all mixed in.
Stir in the cherries, pineapple, and golden raisins to the mixture.
Last, you will add the nuts. The mixture will become very thick.
Your arm muscles will get a workout mixing this!
Drop by spoonfuls onto a parchment covered baking sheet.
Jim, Jean’s husband and Leo’s brother, was asking when the cookies would be ready.
Bake the cookies at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.
The cookies are just perfect when they are lightly browned on the bottom.
Of course, we couldn’t wait until the cookies cooled. They are wonderful warm, but they crisp up and even improve in flavor over time.
For gifts, Jean likes to put the cookies in these disposable tins from the Dollar Tree garnished with a tulle bow. I added the Made with Love tags.
Your friends and family will love a tin of these, and the cookies will keep in a covered container for 2-3 weeks. Perfect for getting a head start on your baking!
I’d like to thank Jean for sharing her recipe with us. Here’s a recipe card that you can right click and download to your computer, or you can click HERE for a printable version of the recipe.
Jean Windham says
What a surprise to see my two sisters-in-law present Jean’s fruitcake cookies. I love fruitcake and cannot wait to try this recipe. I have fond memories helping my beautiful Mother make her fruitcakes at Christmas each year. She shared the fruit cakes to her friends and family. Thank you Jane and Jean for this post. Yum.
Kris @ Junk Chic Cottage says
Yum!!!! Pinning.
Kris
Lari says
This is a new song (2013) on YouTube to promote and return a true appreciation of Fruitcakes.
Pass this fun loving song to friends or family members. But if you ever tried a slice
of our dear Grandma’s, it’ll captivate, they’ll love the taste have another slice and celebrate…
Beautiful fruit cake cookies….you are one neat lady!
Kerryanne @ Shabby Art Boutique says
Hi Jane,
I’ve been so time poor this past few weeks that I haven’t been stopping to comment when visiting, so wanted to pop back and say how much I love the look of these fruit cake cookies. I pinned them for future reference.
Maryann @ Domestically Speaking says
Can you believe I’ve never tried fruitcake? I’d love to try your cookies though 🙂
Christina says
What a fun post! I’ve always wanted to try to make homemade fruitcake but I think this cookie version would be more of hit! Great festive photos and tutorial 🙂
This tour has been such fun!
Jean Windham says
Thank you for the recipe. I love fruit cake so I am sure I will love these. Emma Stewart made the most wonderful fruit cake and this brings back those memories and baking with my Mom, Emma. Next time give a tour and Jean and Jim’s house it looks pretty with her Christmas decorations. Thanks Jane for having Jean share her recipe on your blog. See you Christmas Eve. Jean
Steve says
Jean is not only the best cook in the world, she is the most wonderful person you would ever meet.I love you Jean! Merry Christmas
Mary says
Jane, Your post makes me want to bake cookies and ask Santa for a red mixer and apron! Jean looks like she belongs on Food Network with that last photo! Who needs milk with their cookies when they can enjoy a glass of wine?! Merry Christmas!
Julie {Lilacs & Longhorns} says
Your description is making me look beyond the word, “fruitcake!” Pinned this recipe!
It looks like you two had fun together. Loved how her husband was hovering — you know it’s a good recipe when the men can’t wait for them to come out of the oven! 🙂
[email protected] Designs says
Oh Jane…they look great!…and how were you able to box those fabulous cookies for gifts with Leo around…shocked to hear that the Cookie Monster did not eat all of them!!!
So nice to be making great cookie memories!….You are definitely “taking time to smell the cookie dough”!!!
Leo Windham says
I heard that Oreo.
Leslie @ House on the Way says
Thanks for the yummy recipe! It’s been such a pleasure to be a part of the cookie exchange with you! Have a Merry Christmas!
Atta Girl Amy says
Well, you know how much I love fruitcake! We also like fruitcake cookies, though I’ve never made them myself. Like Paula said, I will be adding this to my cookie file.
I loved your story about how this recipe came to be part of your family. I’m so glad it wasn’t lost forever.
Stacey says
Those sound so good! I haven’t actually even fruitcake in probably 30 years. The pineapple and raisins sound great to me! Jean’s kitchen looks so pretty. Maybe she would share her house with us?
[email protected] says
I am definitely adding this to my cookie file. My mom is going to love them! I can only imagine how much fun you and your sister had baking these cookies on Saturday. I love the pretty way you packaged them, too!
Jeanette says
The two of you look so cute! Plus you’re having fun and I can just smell the cookies. Thank you for joining the cookie exchange tour. Pinned and sharing. ~Jeanette
Therese @ Fresh Idea Studio says
Wow! I have to say your family’s fruitcake cookies sound and look so good! Thanks for sharing the recipe with us.
cheers
[email protected] says
You’ve gotta try these. Great