Over the Top Fruit & Nut Cookies

I was trying to figure out how much fruit I could cram into a single cookie.  I think these are beyond the desirable limit, because there was a cloyingly sweet feeling to them despite using quite tart fruit, and the texture was very crumbly-soft because of all the fruit and nuts carried by the batter.  I was not going to put these on the web site, but some others who loved them insisted.  Bake & eat at your own peril.

Sheets  greased         Oven 375 degrees F        Time 12-15 minutes

1/3 C sugar

2 C of your favorite dried fruit, such as:
2/3 C dried tart cherries
2/3 C dried nectarines or peaches
2/3 C dried apricots

1 C butter
2/3 C molasses
1/3 C honey*  (I'd probably skip this if making these again)


2 eggs

Mill together:*
  500 g soft wheat
  1 cinnamon stick
  1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
  2 teaspoons blade mace
  6 long peppers or 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
  1/4 teaspoon anise seed
 
1 t powder
1/2 t soda
1/2 t salt

1 C walnuts, coarsely chopped or broken, lightly toasted if you can
1/2 C unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted
   
In a food processor or blender, mince the fruits, nuts and sugar together (the sugar keeps the rest separate bits instead of making one glompy mess).  Reserve.

Cream butter until light and smooth.  Beat in molasses and honey until lightened in color and smooth.   

Whisk dry ingredients together, then stir into wet;  add the nut/ fruit mixture and stir again just until mixed.  

Drop by teaspoonsful onto lightly greased sheets.  Bake 12-15 minutes until just firm on top.  They will be soft and not the sturdiest cookies--all the fruit and nuts makes them want to fall apart.

*Don't have a mill?  substitute 3 1/3 C unbleached or whole wheat pastry flour
        2 teaspoons cinnamon
        1 teaspoon cardamom
        1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
        1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
        1/2 teaspoon ground anise

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