Wassail Soft Fruit Cookies With Spice!

If you want a new cookie recipe to bake your family this Christmas season, this is it! Wassail soft fruit cookies are infused with traditional spices from a wassail bowl and then iced with apple cider icing. These delicate cookies are going to disappear fast!

I was inspired to think of a truly unique Christmas cookie when thinking of the first Christmas blog post for the blog. So many great holiday cookies already exist. Why not make one with the full-bodied flavor of the traditional English wassail bowl?

I knew I wanted the cookie to also be an easy drop cookie for those days when you wish holiday flavor and spice without the work of a rolled cookie. This recipe includes fresh apple pieces, and they are just perfect in this warm, spiced cookie.

Enjoy a batch of these soft, spiced holiday cookies in just half an hour!

Let’s make up the Wassail cookie batter!

You will start mixing the butter and sugar in your mixing bowl as we do for many cookies. Cream that together well before adding the egg.

The next step is adding flour, salt, and spices to the bowl. This is going to become super aromatic. In fact, I had the flavor of the cloves on my tongue all afternoon without even eating the cookies! But don’t let that stop you. These cookies are insanely flavorful, soft, and delicious!

Blend the ingredients into the butter mixture, then add the chopped apple and the orange zest. Using the full amount of the orange zest is essential as it will beautifully offset the warm spices.

Mix the cookie dough just enough to evenly distribute the apple pieces throughout.

We are baking these in a regular temperature oven of 350 degrees Fahrenheit for ten to twelve minutes. The edges of these aromatic cookies will be ever so slightly golden when cooked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before glazing.

Blend everything in a measuring cup or small bowl to make the glaze. When the cookies are still slightly warm, drizzle the glaze on top. Using a spoon, allow the icing to drop onto the cookie tops.

Let the cookies cool thoroughly before eating so the icing has time to set.

Ingredients:

Flour: I regularly bake with no-name flour and have no difficulties. White flour works fine to bake these cookies up nice and soft.

White Sugar: This serves a dual role in soft cookie dough, providing sweetness that balances the other flavors while contributing to the cookies’ tenderness and moist texture. It aids in creating a golden-brown exterior and the desirable softness, ensuring each bite is lovely and delightfully chewy

Egg: The egg is the binding agent that holds the cookie dough together, ensuring a cohesive and uniform texture. It also contributes to the cookies’ moisture, tenderness, and structure, making them the foundation for that perfect, melt-in-your-mouth cookie experience.

Salted Butter: Adds a subtle yet essential layer of flavor, enhancing the sweet notes and creating a delightful balance. It also brings a hint of saltiness that amplifies the overall taste, making each cookie a harmonious blend of sweet and savory.

Cinnamon: This warm spice adds aromatic sweetness and infuses the cookies with a festive spirit, evoking memories of holiday gatherings and spiced apple cider.

Cloves: This strong spice brings intriguing depth to your wassail-flavored soft fruit cookies. The rich, earthy flavor lends a subtle, warming complexity to the sweet and fruity notes, creating a harmonious blend that beautifully captures the essence of wassail in every delectable bite.

Nutmeg: This ingredient seamlessly marries the aromatic cinnamon and earthy cloves in your wassail-flavored soft fruit cookies. Its slightly nutty, sweet-spicy essence bridges the flavors. It creates a perfect trifecta of warmth, depth, and a hint of holiday nostalgia, resulting in a truly harmonious and unforgettable cookie experience.

Salt: Salt plays a pivotal role in enhancing the overall flavor profile. Just a pinch of salt balances and intensifies the cookie dough’s sweetness and heightens the ingredients’ various subtle notes, creating a more well-rounded and flavorful treat. Additionally, salt helps to strengthen the cookie’s structure, leading to a perfect texture with just the right amount of chewiness.

Vanilla Extract: The extract in this wassail soft fruit cookie recipe plays a crucial role in rounding out the complex wassail-inspired flavors. Its sweet, aromatic profile complements the fruity and spiced elements. It adds a hint of depth and warmth to the cookies.

Substitutions and Add Ins:

Apples: To enhance the wassail flavor in your soft fruit cookies, you can consider using chopped pears, cranberries, or dried apricots as alternatives or additions to the chopped apples. These fruits can infuse the cookies with their unique tartness, sweetness, and texture while aligning with the wassail theme and offering a delightful blend of flavors and colors.

Flour: Can be switched to half white flour and half whole wheat for a nuttier outcome. The cookies’ texture will not be 100% the same, though.

Expert Tips:

The cookies are a simple mixture to prepare. My biggest tip for success is to be sure you don’t overbake them. They are so moist and delicious when you pull them out at the right time.

Further, the cookie icing should be thin enough. It’s just thin enough to easily drizzle off of a spoon. Too thin of icing will not set and will remain sticky.

I hope you enjoy these delicious cookies as much as we did. In fact, my daughter said she wished we had doubled the recipe! They are indeed a magnificent blend of warm, sweet spice.