Holiday fruitcake cookies

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
  
       Title: Holiday Fruitcake Cookies
  Categories: Cookies
       Yield: 60 servings
  
       2 c  Sifted all-purpose flour
     1/2 ts Baking soda
     1/2 ts Salt
       1 ts Ground cinnamon
     1/2 c  Shortening
       1 c  Packed light brown sugar
       1    Egg; beaten
     1/3 c  Buttermilk
       1 pk Diced dates; (8-oz) (see
            -note)
     1/2 c  Chopped nuts
     1/2 c  Chopped candied red cherries
     1/2 c  Chopped candied green
            -cherries
  
   Recipe by: St. Louis Post-Dispatch 12/2/96 Sift together flour, baking
   soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
   
   Beat shortening until light; add sugar and egg, beating until fluffy. Add
   buttermilk alternately with dry ingredients to shortening mixture; mix
   well. Fold in dates, nuts, and cherries. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and
   refrigerate dough until chilled, about 2 to 3 hours.
   
   Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches
   apart, onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake about 8 to 10 minutes or
   until lightly browned. Let cool on wire racks.
   
   Note: You can substitute 8 ounces pitted dates, cut into small pieces.
   
   Yield: About 5 dozen cookies.
   
   Tester's note: Soft, with just the right amount of fruit and nuts. Easy to
   do; you can make dough one evening and bake after work the next day. These
   moist cookies keep well.
   
   Hilda Tims, McCluer High School.
  
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