With a combination of pineapple, nuts, cherries, dates, and coconut, these cookies are colorful and full of fruit and nuts. They are a perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray.

Fruit 'N' Nut Cookies

Ingredients:

Dough:

½ cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup vegetable shortening

1¼ cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained

½ cup red maraschino or candied cherries, coarsely chopped

½ cup green maraschino or candied cherries, coarsely chopped

½ cup shredded or flaked sweetened coconut

½ cup toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

Tip: See Toasting Nuts and Seeds. Use standard measuring cups and spoons or scales for accurate measuring.

Directions:

Dough:

1. Chop the dates; sprinkle the coarsely chopped dates with 1 teaspoon flour to keep the dates from sticking together. Set aside. Tip: Since the dates get very sticky when chopping, sprinkle with the 1 teaspoon of flour before chopping to help cut down on the stickiness.
   
   
2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter, shortening, and brown sugar; beat together until mixture is smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until thoroughly mixed. Add 4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; stir until mixed. Add pineapple, dates, cherries, coconut and nuts; stir to mix.
   
   
3. Divide dough into 3 pieces. Shape each piece into a 10 inch roll. Wrap each roll in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.
   
   
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Baking sheets may be ungreased, lined with parchment paper, or lined with a non-stick baking mat.
   
   
5. Slice dough into ¼ inch slices and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Return remaining dough to refrigerator until ready to use.
   

Tip: My favorite tool to cut refrigerator cookies is a stainless steel dough scraper; simply push the dough scraper straight down into the cookie for straight cuts. Or use a small kitchen knife to slice the cookies.

Bake:

6. Bake 12 minutes or until cookies are set and the edges are just barely browned. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet one minute. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
   
   Makes about 7 dozen cookies
   
   TheBakingPan.com
   
   Recipe adapted from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies & Bars Fall 2007
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