Dad's Christmas Fruitcake Cookies

I have been making these fruitcake cookies at Christmas for many years.  In fact Dawn's been eating these every Christmas for more years than she can remember.  I started with her mum's recipe and tweaked it a little, in particular changing the brandy to cherry brandy.  The reason these are called Dad's now is because two years ago Dad was in hospital at Christmas and we sneaked a few up to him while he was there.  He loved them. Especially the alcohol.  Sadly Dad was also in hospital last year too.  Our last with him.  Needless to say, when I bake these now I will always think of him.

Ingredients

60g “Stork” Margarine (softened)

225g Dark Brown Soft Sugar

300g Plain White Flour

300g Glazed Cherries

100g Glazed Dried Mixed Fruit

200g Raisins

200g Sultanas

300g Pecans nuts

30ml Crème Fraiche

75ml Cherry Brandy

1½ Tsp of Baking Soda

½ Tsp of Mixed Spices

½ Tsp of Ground Cloves

½ Tsp of Fresh grated nutmeg or grated ½ fresh nutmeg)

2 Medium Free Range Eggs

Makes approximately 60 cookies

Procedure

1. Set oven to 150 degrees

2. Measure flour into small bowl

3. Add baking soda to the flour

4. Add mixed spices to flour

5. Add ground cloves to flour

6. Add nutmeg to the flour

7. Sieve the dry mixture into a large mixing bowl

8. Place the margarine into the small bowl

9. Add the sugar to the margarine

10. Blend the sugar and margarine together (this won’t cream)

11. Add the cherry brandy to the sugar mixture

12. Add the Crème Fraiche to the sugar mixture

12. Add the eggs to the sugar mixture

13. Blend the ingredients in the small bowl together

14. Pour the wet ingredients from the small bowl into the large mixing bowl

15. Fold all the ingredients together

16. Add the glazed cherries and fold into the batter

17. Add the mixed fruit and fold into the batter

18. Add the sultanas and fold into the batter

19. Add the raisins and fold into the batter

20. Add the chopped pecan nuts and fold into the batter

21. Keep folding the ingredients until well mixed

22. Lay a greaseproof sheet onto a large baking tray

23. Scoop dessert spoonfuls of the mixture and space evenly on the baking tray

24. Place the tray into the oven on the middle shelf

25. Remove the tray after 15 minutes or when the edges start turning brown

26. Slide the cookies on the greaseproof paper to the counter and allow the cookies to cool for 4/5 minutes and then carefully remove and place onto a wire rack to cool

27. Repeat steps 22 through 26 until all the mixture has been used up

Before taking out each subsequent batch, remove the batch of cookies from the wire rack to a plate to free up the wire rack for the next batch.