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ingredients:
Makes about 2 dozen 11⁄2-inch squares
1 cup whole hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup blanched,
slivered almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup coarsely chopped candied
orange peel
1 cup diced citron, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely
chopped crystallized ginger
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (about 2
lemons)
1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄4
teaspoon ground cardamom
1⁄4 teaspoon ground coriander
1⁄4 teaspoon ground
cloves
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch ground white pepper
3⁄4
cup granulated sugar
3⁄4 cup honey
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into
small pieces
1⁄2 cup confectioners’ sugar (optional, for dusting)
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![holiday cookies]()
Fruitcake Nuggets
Fruitcake fans and foes no longer have any reason to disagree. Chock-full of
dried fruit, heavily spiced, and bound with little more than honey, these
cookies are indisputably delicious.
 1. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9- x 9-inch square baking pan.
Line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, taking care to leave extra paper
along the top edge. Butter the paper and set the pan aside.
2. Position a
rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 300°.
3. Mix the
nuts, orange peel, citron, crystallized ginger, lemon zest, flour, and spices
together in a large bowl, making sure to break apart any candied fruit or
crystallized ginger pieces that may be stuck together.
4. Place the
granulated sugar and honey in a small stainless-steel or non-reactive saucepan.
Stir until the sugar is evenly moistened and then add the butter pieces. Place
the mixture over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low
and cook, stirring occasionally, until the syrup registers 242°-248° on a candy
thermometer. (Alternatively, the syrup will be ready when a small drop of it
forms a firm but malleable ball when placed in ice water.) Immediately pour the
hot syrup over the fruit-flour mixture and stir vigorously until well blended.
Work quickly or the syrup will cool and stiffen, making the mixture intractable.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the top with a small offset
spatula. Bake about 30-40 minutes. Don’t worry if the batter doesn’t appear
completely firm at this point. It will harden considerably as it cools. Transfer
the pan to a rack and allow the fruitcake to cool completely in the pan.
5.
Invert the pan onto a piece of parchment paper set on a cutting board. If the
fruitcake does not fall out on its own, loosen it by gently tugging on the extra
parchment paper along the top edge of the pan. Peel the parchment paper off the
back of the fruitcake and invert the fruitcake again, so the top is right-side
up. Using a sharp chef’s knife, trim the edges so the cookie block is perfectly
square. Cut the block into 11⁄2-inch squares, wiping the knife with a damp cloth
in between slices to keep each cut clean. Store the cookies at room temperature
in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks.
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