Fruitcake Cookies

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the chopped candied fruit with a few tablespoons of the flour. This will prevent the fruit from sticking together later. Set aside.

Into a medium sized bowl sift together the spices, remaining flour, and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at at time, then mix in the milk and juice. Add the sifted dry ingredients, then fold in the nuts, floured fruit and raisins. The dough will almost seem more like a cake batter than a cookie dough in consistency. That is OK, it’s how it is supposed to be.

Drop dough by teaspoons about 1 inch apart (cookies will not spread much at all) onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. Then remove the cookie sheets from the oven. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Cookies will last about 2 weeks at room temperature, longer in the freezer. Cookies will get even better as they age, so do not hesitate to make them a few days before you plan to serve them.

Makes 60 cookies.