Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/3 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups all purpose flours
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup golden raisins
1 cup chopped pecans
1 large apple, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
1 recipe Basic Vanilla Butter Icing
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400˚F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
In the bowl of an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter until light. Add the brown sugar and beat well. Beat in the egg.
Sift together the cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and flour. Sift this into the butter mixture in 2 parts, alternating with the milk. When the dough is well mixed, stir in the raisins, pecans, and apple by hand. Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cookies are light brown on the bottom and golden on top. Remove to racks to cool. Spread the cookies with the icing when cool, and store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Excerpted from Cookies Year-Round by Rosemary Black with permission from Stewart Tabori & Chang © 2007. Photography by Jonelle Weaver
