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• 1 1/2 cups chopped dried fruit (apricots, figs, raisins, etc.)
• 1/2 cup candied cherries (morello, maraschino, etc.)
• 1 cup Brandy or Cognac

• 3/4 cup butter
• 8 oz. almond paste
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 TBSP brandy or cognac
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

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Chop the dried fruit into small pieces- about the same size as your raisins. Halve the candied cherries. Place in a bowl and cover with Cognac or Brandy. Let sit overnight.

Drain the fruit and reserve 1 TBSP cognac/brandy.

Toast pecans in 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Let cool and chop coarsely.

Cream butter, almond paste and sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Add the tablespoon of brandy/cognac and mix. Scrape bowl and mix well.

Stir together flour, baking powder, cloves and salt. Add to the butter and mix until combined, scraping bowl if necessary. Add fruit and pecans and mix well.

Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a 15″ log and roll up in parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice the dough into 1/2″ slices using a sharp knife. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, about 2″ apart. Alternately, to get a more uniform cookie – you can do what Dorie Greenspan does and bake each round in the cup of a muffin tin.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until starting to brown around the edges.