Fruitcake Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup shortening
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup candied cherries, cut into quarters
2 cups chopped dates
1 cup chopped candied fruit
red or green candied cherry halves
pecan halves

Instructions

Cream shortening; gradually add sugar beating well. Add eggs; beat well. Sift together flour, soda and salt in a med. mixing bowl. Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add pecans, quartered cherries, dates and candied fruit. Chill dough several hours or overnight. Drop by teaspoons 2 inches apart onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Top each with a cherry half or a pecan half. Bake 375: for 8-10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 7 dozen