September 10, 2020

An Exotic Treat in the Mail

I received a lovely treat in the mail!


These lovely goodies came from Wholesale Nuts And Dried Fruit, sellers of bulk nut and dried fruit (obviously!).

They look and smell so good, popping with flavor. But what should I make? I toyed with the idea of fruitcake, which I've been thinking about ever since I read about Mama Pea's fruitcake. Dan, however, firmly states he doesn't like fruitcake, so I thought, well, why not start with small bites and see what he thinks. So here they are...


Fruitcake Cookies
  • 1 pound dried fruit
  • 6 ounces chopped nuts
  • ¼ cup apple juice*
  • ½ pound soft butter
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • 2⅔ cup flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 large egg

The night before, set the dried fruit to soak in the apple juice. Next morning, blend the butter and sugar, add and mix in the egg. Gradually stir in flour, soda, salt, and ginger. Mix in the fruit and soaking liquid. Mix in the nuts. Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 3 doz.

*Traditional recipes call for brandy, rum, etc., but you can use any fruit juice you choose. Orange is common, but I used apple to keep the flavors of the cherries and mango true.

The verdict? Winner! So good. I think it was the dried, rather than candied, fruit that made these a success.

If you're looking for a nice variety of dried fruits and nuts, or are looking to do some stocking up or adding some special treats to your prepper pantry, you can check out Wholesale Nuts And Dried Fruit for yourself, just click on that link.

An Exotic Treat in the Mail © September 2020

16 comments:

Mama Pea said...

But, Dan! My fruitcake doesn't taste like any commercial fruitcake you've ever tasted! As your lovely wife said about the luscious cookies she made, the flavor is wonderful because she used healthy, dried fruit rather than that artificial candied fruit usually found in those fruitcakes that can be used as doorstops! ;o)

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Dried fruit can make for great cookies!!

I, too, am a doubtful fruit cake believer. Unless there was a lot of rum involved in the making and soaking of said fruit cake.

Leigh said...

Mama Pea, I think the cookies are a step in the right direction. He likes these, so a fruitcake with your recipe will likely get a thumbs up. :)

TB, I think it depends on the fruit. The artificial candied fruits are pretty nasty. But like Mama Pea says, fruitcakes made with dried fruits are a world apart!

Ed said...

I cautiously tell people I like fruitcake because I do like a slice or two. But what always happens is I am gifted the entire cake and 80% of it ends up in the trash because I don't like eating it everyday for weeks.

I like how rather than change to a smaller typeface they just put the 'A' in the next line of the macadamia nut bag.

Unknown said...

I enjoy reading your blog via two men and a little farm. My sister does pyrography art as well. Thought you’d enjoy seeing her art. http://kathleenmariewilson.com/index.html

Goatldi said...

Wowzers Leigh! Did Santa leave an early gift?

I will give those cookies a whirl as they look moist and flavorful. I agree with the assumption that not using traditional candied (in my mind the equivalent to ultra pasteurized milk) is one of the keys to success.

My mother in love made a yummy stolen every Christmas. A family recipe from her grand father who was a confectioner in the Black Forest. It was yummy .

But as we Became increasingly concerned with the source and quality of our food it was too much . About the same time I found a source of enough varieties of none sulfured dried fruit to make a better tasting good for you version. Which we still enjoy today.

Leigh said...

Ed, a truly human touch, :) I suspect the fruitcakes you're gifted with are somebody else's rejects! Have you ever tried freezing it? I'm tempted to make one with Mama Pea's recipe, but try the old fashioned way of preserving it with brandy. Except that I doubt I care for brandy. But it's supposed to make a delicious fruitcake.

Unknown, thank you and welcome! Your sister's work is beautiful; that giraffe! I'll pass the link onto my husband. He's the pyrographer in the family. :)

Goatldi, quite a treat, truly. The cookies are very tasty, even Dan likes them. Good comparison of candied fruit! Have you ever put your stolen recipe on your blog? I'd be curious to at least get a look at it. I suspect making a good stolen is beyond my pay grade, however.

Seeking Serenity said...

I feel the same about your cat Meowy. (Replying to your visit about Myst)

Leigh said...

Things in common. :) Of course, Myst is older than Meowy, so her ups and downs are more of a concern. Meowy is just her bossy, busy, super self.

wyomingheart said...

How great to find a new company for nuts! Thanks! We are very much nut freaks at this farm, and have been purchasing from another company. We have not been very satisfied with the nuts nor the price, since the C-19 outbreak. We will for sure be giving this one a try!
About your cookies... YUM ! Keeper to try when it’s cooler, for sure! A question about storing seed, have you ever saved zucchini seed?

Leigh said...

Wyomingheart, yes, the macadamia nuts are really special, for us anyway, since I can't grow them! Same with the papaya and cherries, although technically I can grow cherries; my tree has never done well enough to make a pie, let alone preserve some. As much as I strive for a homegrown diet, I like keeping a few treats in my pantry, for something special.

No, I've never saved zucchini, because I'm not a fan! I find some of the less common heirloom varieties taste better and grow better for me. The tatume I mentioned in my last post and zucchetta (which I haven't grown in several years), for example.

Henny Penny said...

Oh how delicious these look! I love dried fruits! Thank you for the recipe. I'm going to check out their website.

Goatldi said...

Thank you for the request. I will happily do so. It must be pretty decent as Annie my daughter got a silver medal for her entry about 30 years back in County level 4-H competition.

Leigh said...

Henny, we can't stop eating them! I put a bunch in the freezer to save for Christmas. :)

Goatldi, yay! Sounds like it's heavenly!

Renee Nefe said...

we go through a lot of dried cherries here...so I will have to check that place out. :D

Leigh said...

Renee, I'm thinking about trying a dried cherry pie. They make pies with dried apples, so why not cherries?!