Old-Fashioned Mince Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed*
2 eggs, well beaten.
1-1/3 cups (or 1/2 jar) prepared mincemeat OR mincemeat with brandy.
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind.
4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Recipe may be doubled, using the whole jar of mincemeat (the kind
with brandy is especially delicious, but you can add a little
rum, if desired).

*Light brown is recommended, as the dark imparts its own flavor,
which is unnecessary.

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease or line with foil or parchment
paper cookie sheets. Depending on your oven's capacity, four are
recommended; using two at a time and allowing the other two to
cool between batches. This recipe make a lot of cookies: 245-250
when doubling recipe! Cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar very
gradually; beat until light. Stir in eggs. Add mincemeat and
lemon rind; blend. Sift together sifted flour, soda and salt;
blend into mincemeat mixture. Drop by teaspoonsful onto prepared
cookie sheets. Bake about 10 minutes or until cookies are puffed
and golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for one minutes
before removing to wire racks. Store tightly covered for soft
cookies (put plastic wrap or foil between layers because they
stick together in storage). Store loosely covered for crisper
version.

One year, a co-worker found out I had drawn her name for
Christmas gift-giving. She said all she wanted was a batch of
these all to herself! (I had made them at a previous potluck.) I
made them for her, another satisfied friend!

Mincemeat Cookies

    1/2 cup corn oil
    1-1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
    2 eggs
    2-3/4 cups flour
    1/2 teaspoon soda
    1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
    One 9-ounce package mincemeat
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 375F. Combine flour, soda and cream of tartar. In
large bowl, beat oil and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, mix well. Stir
in mincemeat, chopped pecans and vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix
well. Chill about 1 hour. Roll into 1/4 inch balls, place on baking
sheet that has been sprayed with Pam and flatten slightly. Bake 10-12
minutes or until lightly browned.

Helpful hints:
Mincemeat in a jar is not satisfactory. It must be the kind in a box,
you may substitute rice flour.

Servings: 6 dozen