Is Fruitcake Ever Ok?
Posted on 18 December 2008 by joy
Fruitcake has such a stigma, right? There’s always that legend of the fruitcake that has been passed around for year after year, from family to family, still existing in it’s perfectly brick light, mildly disconcerting fruity madness. It’s almost as though there are only a handful of fruitcakes circling the world being re-gifted year after year after year.
Are you brave enough to try baking up a fruitcake this year? What concerns me the most about fruitcakes is the sheer number of ingredients. It’s almost painful. Between all of the fruit and all of the booze, I can barely get to the end of the ingredient list before I’ve given up.
And once you bake it…. then what on earth do you do with the thing!?
Perhaps you’re a braver baker than I. Perhaps the fact that this fruitcake is in cookie/muffin form will change your mind.
Old Fashioned Fruitcake Cookie Muffins
Bon Appetit December 2008
- 1 cup halved dried cherries
- 1 cup dried currants (about 5 ounces)
- 1 cup chopped pitted dates
- 1 cup golden raisins (about 5 ounces)
- 1 cup brown raisins (about 5 ounces)
- 1 cup chopped Simple Candied Orange Peel
- 6 tablespoons bourbon, divided
- 6 tablespoons dry Sherry (preferably imported), divided
- 9 to 10 dozen paper or foil bonbon-size (1-inch-diameter) baking cups
- 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- 2 cups all purpose flour, divided
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 large eggs
Glaze and garnish:
- 1 cup (packed) powdered sugar
- 4 teaspoons (or more) bourbon
- 4 teaspoons (or more) dry Sherry (preferably imported)
For cookies:
Toss first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in 4 tablespoons each bourbon and Sherry. Cover; soak 2 to 24 hours.
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Arrange about 36 baking cups on each of 3 rimmed baking sheets. Stir walnuts, then 1 cup flour into fruit mixture, coating evenly. Whisk 1 cup flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in medium bowl.
Beat sugar and butter in another large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in dry ingredients, then remaining 2 tablespoons each bourbon and Sherry. Fold in fruit mixture. Drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls into baking cups.
Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until light brown, about 23 minutes. Cool.
For glaze and garnish:
Mix sugar and 4 teaspoons each bourbon and Sherry in bowl. Add more liquor by 1/2 teaspoonfuls in equal amounts to thin if necessary.
Spoon glaze over cookies; garnish with peel. Let stand until glaze sets, at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature.
