The Best Chewy Fruitcake Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup light brown sugar (firmly packed)
• ¾ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 1 large egg (at room temperature)
• ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1½ tablespoon white rum
• 1 cup paradise fruit and peel mix
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Prepare baking sheet: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. Cream butter and sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together granulated sugar and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
5. Add wet ingredients: Add the egg, vanilla extract, and white rum to the creamed sugar mixture. Beat until well combined.
6. Combine dry and wet ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.  
7. Add nuts and fruit: Gently fold in the chopped pecans, walnuts, and paradise fruit and peel mix.
8. Shape and bake cookies: Drop tablespoon-sized dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden brown.
9. Cool and enjoy: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a minute before transferring them to a wire rack. Repeat steps 8 and 9 until all the dough is baked.

Tips:

• For a chewier cookie, underbake them slightly.
• If you prefer a crispier cookie, bake them for a few minutes longer.
• Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Enjoy your delicious paradise fruit and nut cookies!