Jewelled cookie slices

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This article was published 19/12/2013 (4645 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FRUITCAKE cookies are a popular Christmas choice for many bakers, as they offer the tastes of fruitcake without all the trouble. Thanks to Susan Chodirker, Berenice Keryluk and to Myrla Smederovac, whose recipe is below.

Jewelled cookie slices

80 ml (1/3 cup) butter, melted
80 ml (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
60 ml (1/4 cup) brown sugar
1 egg
2 ml (1/2 tsp) vanilla
125 ml (1/2 cup) chopped red and green cherries
30 ml (2 tbsp) chopped almonds
375 ml (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder
0.5 ml (1/8 tsp) baking soda
0.5 ml (1/8 tsp) ground nutmeg

In large bowl, beat melted butter with both sugars. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Stir in fruit and nuts. In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg. Add to butter mixture. Form dough into two rolls and wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F.) Using sharp knife, cut rolls into slices about 6 mm (1/4 inch) thick and place on greased baking sheet. Bake for 8-11 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully remove cookies to cool on rack.

Tester’s notes: An easy, tasty fruitcake alternative. The amount of nutmeg might seem small, but even a pinch of this strong spice packs quite a lot of power. It’s handy to have slice-and-bake dough on hand, although doughs containing eggs, like this one, should be baked within three days or stored in the freezer. Some bakers use paper towel rolls to get perfectly round logs, but there’s no shame in square cookies.

Alison Gillmor
Writer

Studying at the University of Winnipeg and later Toronto’s York University, Alison Gillmor planned to become an art historian. She ended up catching the journalism bug when she started as visual arts reviewer at the Winnipeg Free Press in 1992.

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