Glazed Fruitcake Shortbread Cookies

These fruitcake shortbread cookies combine butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and flour to make one delicious cookie! The glaze on top softens up the shortbread which creates a delicious flavour and texture. Crisp edges with soft middles, these cookies are perfect for your cookie exchange or your holiday baking tray.

this recipe!

ingredients & substitutions

For full recipe & instructions, scroll to the bottom of the page for recipe card. Below, you will find a few notes about the ingredients:

• butter should be at room temperature
• glacé (glazed) cherries and peel. I like to use a mixture of both. You can also use just one or the other.
• rum is completely optional for the glaze. You can also use the same amount of milk to make the glaze.

In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or by hand with wooden spoon, beat together butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.  

Gradually add in flour and stir just until combined. Over mixing the dough will alter the texture of the cookies.

Fold in the fruit just until it is mixed into the dough. I like to mix the fruit in with clean hands, working the dough as little as possible.

Divide the dough in half and shape into two 7-inch squares. The shape doesn't have to be perfect! The dough is easier to work with between two sheets of plastic wrap.

Wrap both squares of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 25 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove dough from refrigerator and cut into 1 and ¾" wide strips.

Cut each strip into three or four pieces. I make my cookies a little on the larger size but you can certainly make them shorter. I found 2 inches to be a great length.

A pizza cutter makes slicing easy. Otherwise, you will need a sharp knife.

Place on prepared baking sheets.

Bake in 325°F oven for 23 to 25 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire cooling racks.

Place parchment paper under cooling racks to catch the drizzle from the glaze.

For glaze: whisk together powdered sugar and milk (or rum). You may need to add either a little more milk or rum & powdered sugar to achieve a consistency that can be brushed onto the cookies.

Brush glaze over top of cookies. The glaze should set up quickly and you will be able to stack the cookies within an hour.

variations

You can also use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Gently press the remaining dough back together and press into a square and cut more shapes.

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