LARA LLADOC

Instructions:

For the Rum-Soaked Fruit:

1. The night before baking, place golden raisins and dried cranberries in glass container. Add rum until fruit is covered. Cover container with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight.

For the Cookies:

2. The day of baking, pour fruit mixture through mesh strainer set over bowl. Turn out fruit onto paper towels. Find alternative use for fruit-flavored rum (e.g., cocktail).

3. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Preheat oven to 350 F.

4. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and yeast. Set aside.

5. In large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until fluffy.

6. Add eggs, one at a time, then orange zest. Mix at each stage until combined.

7. Slowly add flour mixture. Mix until homogeneous.

8. Add rum-soaked fruit. Mix until evenly distributed.

9. Scoop dough 2 TBS at a time, and roll into balls. (Approx. 24)

10. Place balls onto parchment paper-lined baking trays, at least 2 inches apart.

11. Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes, then rotate and switch trays on racks. Bake additional 10 minutes (25 minutes total), or until edges are set and golden.

12. Remove trays from oven. Allow cookies to cool on trays for 10 minutes.

13. Transfer cookies to paper towel-lined rack. Cool completely before icing.

For the Icing:

14. Measure 1 cup powdered sugar into large bowl. Whisk in pinch of salt.

15. Add 1 1/2 TBS milk. Mix until icing forms. If too stiff, add more milk 1/2 tsp at a time. If too runny, add more powdered sugar 1 tsp at a time. Continue until desired texture achieved.

16. Use rubber spatula to spread icing onto fully cooled cookies.

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