Fruitcake Cookies with Brandy Cream Cheese Frosting
Fruitcake Cookies are chewy sugar cookies stuffed full of candied fruits, raisins and toasted pecans for a unique twist on the classic Christmas fruitcake! Topped with a brandy cream cheese frosting, these little cookies are irresistible!
Pre-heat oven to 300° and line baking sheets with parchment or silpat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. (You can do this with a hand mixer but it will take longer. I did this and my hand fell asleep before the butter was creamed properly. Just sayin.)
Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition. The batter should look nice and fluffy. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and beat to combine.
Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just to combine.
Add the nuts and dried fruit and mix just to combine. If you are using the hand mixer, do this last step with a sturdy wooden spoon.
Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop cookies and drop on prepared baking sheets about an inch apart. They don’t spread at all.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the bottom edges are a golden brown and you don’t see any raw, shiny cookie dough through the cracks in the tops. Cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Brandy Cream Cheese Frosting:
Dissolve the brown sugar in the brandy.
In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, brandy/sugar mixture, powdered sugar, and lemon juice until light and fluffy. Add the half and half until it reaches your desired consistency. The half and half also mellows out the brandy flavor.
Using a small offset spatula or butter knife, spread a dollop of the frosting on each cookie. Top with candied cherries, pecans or both!
After frosting, store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving (ideally).
Notes
Since these cookies are rather sweet, you could top them with chopped, toasted pecans instead of the candied cherries. I just wanted a little pop of color!