Fruit Cake Shortbread Cookies
User Reviews
5
Fruit Cake Shortbread Cookies
Description
The Fruit Cake Shortbread Cookies start by creaming softened unsalted butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy, then flavoring the mixture with rum extract or similar. Flour is incorporated gradually to form a dough that holds together firmly. Finely diced fruitcake mix is folded in to distribute fruity pieces throughout the dough. After shaping into a log and chilling for at least two hours, the dough can be sliced and baked. Chilling ensures the cookies keep their shape and develop the ideal tender, crumbly texture of shortbread.
When baked, these cookies have a crisp yet melt-in-the-mouth texture enriched by buttery flavor and subtle fruitcake inclusions. Decorating with coarse or sanding sugar is optional for added sparkle and crunch. The log shape allows for easy slicing and uniform sizes, making them convenient for serving at gatherings. They also store well, maintaining texture over several days.
These cookies can be rolled out and cut with cookie cutters for variation, adapting to different festive occasions. The balance of buttery dough and fruit pieces makes them a quiet change from typical fruitcake or plain shortbread cookies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter It is important that your butter be soft, you cannot use cold butter, unsalted, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp rum extract substitute vanilla or almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour measure with the fluff/scoop/level method
- 1 cup fruitcake mix finely diced
- coarse sugar or sanding sugar for decorating, optional
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugar together until wll combined and light and fluffy, scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the extract.
- Slowly add in the flour with the mixer on low, until the dough comes together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. If your dough is extremely dry you can add a little milk, a teaspoon at a time, to bring it together. Note: don't be tempted to add too much milk, the dough should come together fine as long as your butter is soft.
- Add the fruit to the bowl and continue to mix until the fruit is incorporated. You can use your hands for the last part if you like.
- Turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap and form it into a log, about 9 or 10 inches long. Wrap it in the plastic and smooth it into a uniform smooth round shape, twisting the ends tightly to secure. Chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.Note: I like to wrap the log in a thick hand towel so that as it chills to keeps a perfectly round shape.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the log of dough into 1/3 inch slices. Roll edges in sugar, if desired, and then place on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes. Longer baking will create a crisper cookie, shorter time makes a soft buttery cookie, my preference. They may seem soft as they come out of the oven but they will firm up as they cool. Let them cool for a few minutes on the pan before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Sprinkle the cookies with sanding sugar, if using, while they are warm.
Notes
- Ensure butter is softened, not cold, for proper creaming and dough consistency.
- Chill the dough log thoroughly for at least 2 hours or overnight to make slicing easier and cookies hold shape.
- You can roll out the dough and use cookie cutters instead of forming a log for shaped cookies.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 20cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 182 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 182kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 23g | 8% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 9g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.4g | 2% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 0.4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 24mg | 8% |
| Sodium | 8mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 16mg | 0% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 11g | 22% |
| Vitamin A | 293IU | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 0.3mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 20mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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