Brigitte's Mincemeat Cookies

If your holiday cookie tray doesn’t include mincemeat cookies, it’s time to fix that.

These are old-fashioned drop cookies with a generous cup and a third of mincemeat folded right into the batter. Every bite is studded with bits of spiced fruit, warm holiday flavors, and that unmistakable richness that only mincemeat brings.

The dough comes together fast. Cream the shortening and sugar, beat in eggs, stir in flour, and fold in the mincemeat. Drop them on a sheet and bake until the edges go golden.

They’re soft, slightly chewy, and taste like Christmas morning smells.

Kitchen Tips

• Use prepared mincemeat from a jar, or make your own if you’re feeling ambitious. Both work well here.
• Drop the dough by the teaspoon, not the tablespoon. These spread as they bake and need room between them on the sheet.
• Pull them when they’re just lightly browned at the edges. The centers will look slightly underdone but they firm up as they cool.
• Store in a tin with a sheet of wax paper between layers. They keep well for a week and actually improve in flavor after day one as the mincemeat spices meld into the cookie.