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Fruit Cake Cookies

These fruitcake cookies are stuffed with dried blueberries, apricots, cranberries, and currants and drizzled with a rum and clove icing. You’ll love these boozy little cookie bites! 

fruit cake cookies with icing sitting on parchment paper

Do you love fruit cake? 

Well, I know I do! And honestly, it gets a pretty bad rap. 

Fruitcake can be dry and dense BUT not for these cookies!

They are made with lots of good quality dried fruit, warm scented spices, and just a touch or two of spiced rum. 

Of course, I couldn’t resist the urge to dunk these into a homemade glaze. It adds such a burst of sweetness with just a touch of rum and clove flavor. 

a collage of fruit cake cookies getting dipped in glaze

Can I make this without using alcohol? 

Yes, of course! 

These cookies are pretty booze-filled so here are a few adaptions you can make to make them alcohol-free. 

  • Instead of soaking the fruit overnight in rum, you can substitute apple juice and 1 teaspoon of rum extract. 
  • To make the icing you can substitute the rum for half and half and a teaspoon of rum extract. 

The rum extract will help give you that classic flavor without all the alcohol. 

Where can I find all that dried fruit?

While it’s pretty easy to find dried apricots, golden raisin, currants, and dried cranberries it can be a little more difficult to find dried blueberries and dried sour cherries. 

They can usually be found on Amazon or even sometimes in places like TJ Maxx and HomeGoods. If you’re in your grocery store check out all the dried fruit aisle or the organic section. 

You can also substitute more dried cranberries in place of sour cherries and more currants for dried blueberries. 

It’s really a mix and match scenario that can be tailored to your personal preferences. 

Do I have to use a glaze?

While I personally prefer the glaze you can easily leave it off the cookie. 

Or if you’re looking for some sweet without all the glaze you can also just drizzle it on. 

fruit cake cookies dipped in rum and clove glaze

Love these fruit cake cookies?

Why not try a few of my other holiday cookie recipes!

fruit cake cookies dipped in rum and clove glaze

Fruit Cake Cookies

Author: Brandy O’Neill – Nutmeg Nanny
Delicious homemade fruit cake cookies glazed with a booze-filled rum and clove glaze.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Marinating Time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 50 minutes
Servings 60 cookies

Ingredients

For cookies:

  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • 1 cup currants
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup dried blueberries
  • 1/2 cup dried sour cherries
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots chopped
  • 1/4 cup candied ginger chopped
  • 1 lemon zested
  • 1 orange zested
  • 1 cup spiced rum
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unfiltered apple juice
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 2-3/4 cup all-purpose flour more may be needed
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans

For icing:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup spiced rum
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

For cookies:

  • Combine golden raisins, currants, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried sour cherries, dried chopped apricots, chopped candied ginger, lemon zest, and orange zest.
  • Add rum and sit overnight.
  • The next day, place dried fruit and rum in a large pot with granulated sugar, apple juice, butter, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice.
  • Bring mixture to a boil, stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and let cool for at least 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl add all-purpose flour, kosher salt, baking soda, and baking powder,
  • Whisk to combine.
  • Add flour to the cooled fruit mixture.
  • Gently stir until just combined.
  • Stir in eggs, one at a time, and stir until fully combined.
  • Fold in pecans.
  • Using a large 1-1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop onto the prepared baking sheets.
  • Leave 2 inches between cookies.
  • Bake for 15 minutes until baked through. They will look more cake-like than your typical cookie.
  • Let cookies cool completely and either dip or drizzle with rum and clove icing.

For icing:

  • Whisk together the powdered sugar, rum, and cloves.
  • If the mixture is too thick add a little more rum, if it’s too thin add more powdered sugar.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 104mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g
Course Dessert
Keyword Christmas cookies, cookie recipe, cookies, dried fruit, fruit cake cookies, holiday cookies, rum glaze
Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment and 5 star review!

Brandy

About Brandy!

I am a food lover and recipe developer bringing you delicious recipes that taste great and are easy to make! My food is inspired by travels around the world and my love of flavorful food. A list of things that make me happy: cats, Coke Zero, houseplants, and travel. Read more...

Recipe Rating




dressca

Monday 27th of August 2012

Thanks for bringing the cookies!

Curt

Thursday 29th of December 2011

I'm heading over there to check out the recipe right now! The icing puddles are the best part. And the first part to get eaten!

Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen

Friday 23rd of December 2011

Icing puddles! lol! Thanks for bringing the cookies! xoxo-K

Lyndsey@TheTinySkillet

Friday 23rd of December 2011

They look lovely...thanks for pointing out the icing puddles :)

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