Mondays with Maida - Fruitcake Icebox Cookies

Page 136 in the old book / page 172 in the new book

A little tamer than last week's cookie, this one is quite attractive and has a wonderful sandy texture. Even though they're called "Fruitcake" Icebox Cookies, the candied fruits are limited to cherries and pineapple, and might even be enjoyed by the fruitcake-adverse.

These buttery cookies are very easy to make, with a limited number of ingredients. I used pecans, but Maida suggests green pistachios as a lovely alternative. The candied fruits play a prominent role, so taste is important. I was glad I had splurged for some candied cherries from France. When I opened the bag, they actually smelled like cherries! Not so for the candied pineapple from the grocery store, I'm afraid. It was merely a vehicle for delivering a not-so-healthy dose of corn syrup. I'd be tempted to use dried pineapple another time. I'm sure it would taste better, my only question is whether it would make the cookies difficult to slice.

Here's the panel...

Suzanne: Shame on me! When Cathy showed me the cookies, I actually turned up my nose at them. When someone as nice as Cathy bakes cookies for us each week, I shouldn’t have a disappointed look on my face. I guess the cookie evaluator job has gone to my head. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised and loved the cookie. I usually don’t like anything with candied fruit in them, but I liked this cookie. Even though it was a butter cookie, it had a subtle butter taste. The cookie had a nice crunch to it and the candied fruit added a delicate sweetness to the flavor. Rating- 4.7"

Denny: "Beautiful-looking, which raised my expectations along with the candied fruits and pecans. The taste was good, but my high expectations were disappointed. Deducting 1 point for no chocolate, I'd give them a 3. Rating - 3.0"

Laura: "Buttery and sweet (from the yummy fruits). Very tasty! Rating - 3.5"

Terri: "These are delicious with a real buttery flavor to compliment the fruit (cherries and pineapple). I'm not a fan of fruitcake, but the buttery flavor and pecans seem to make the fruits not quite as rich. Rating - 4.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 3.8

Next week - Fruitcake Icebox Cookies

Nutrition Facts