Fruit Chewy Cookies
These cookies use prunes as a secret ingredient to provide fruity flavor and moisture, feature orange zest, and are finished with an orange glaze.
Ingredients
orange zest (finely grated)
1.5 tsp
dark brown sugar (packed)
1 2/3 cup
large egg
1
orange juice
2/3 cup
vanilla extract
1 tsp
pitted prunes (chopped)
1.5 cup (about 8 oz)
golden raisins
1/2 cup (2.5 oz)
walnuts (chopped, optional)
1 cup (4 oz)
all-purpose flour (white)
3.5 cup
ground cinnamon
1.5 tsp
baking soda
1 tsp
salt
1/2 tsp
ground cloves (to taste)
1/4 tsp
unsalted butter (room temperature, cut into chunks)
1 cup (2 )
Instructions
1
Preheat and Prepare
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease several baking sheets or coat them with nonstick spray.
2
Prepare the Fruit
In a large saucepan, mix the orange zest, orange juice, prunes, and raisins. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the fruit rehydrates and the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool until warm.
3
Mix Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cloves; set aside.
4
Combine the Dough
Add the butter and brown sugar to the fruit mixture, stirring until the butter melts and the ingredients are fully combined. Add the egg and vanilla, stirring until evenly mixed. Fold in the flour mixture and walnuts (if using) until just combined.
5
Bake
Drop the dough by golf ball-sized scoops onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2.5 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time, on the upper third rack of the oven, for 10 to 13 minutes, until lightly golden and the centers are just set. Rotate the sheet front to back halfway through baking for even browning.
6
Cool
Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let stand until the cookies are slightly firm, about 2 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the wire racks. Let cool until warm.
