These fruit and nut cookies are spicy and bold, but have a sweet glaze that just makes them perfect for the holidays. What’s extra special are the seasonal, local products used in this recipe, but you can substitute with whatever you have on hand.
Recipe: Glenda Castelli, Sonoma County Farm Trails
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 farm fresh Farmers Market Egg
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp teaspoon salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts
1 cup. finely chopped peeled late apple
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup Clover-Stornetta milk
2 1/2 T Clover-Stornetta cream or half and half
1 1/2 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 T McClelland Dairy butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat together shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg to blend thoroughly. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Stir half the dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts, apple and raisins; then stir in remaining half of dry ingredients and milk. Mix well.
Drop from tablespoon one and one-half inch apart onto lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.
Glaze: Beat confections sugar, butter, vanilla and cream until smooth. Glaze should be loose, but not runny. Spread on top of cookies while still warm. Makes about 3 dozen.
