Mincemeat Cookies

As a child we had a wonderful neighbor.  She lived alone and most of her family had settled elsewhere.  From the day we moved in, she became part of our lives.  She and my Mom would visit.  My brother helped her with her yard.  I would sit with her often and usually enjoy one of these cookies as they were always in her cookie jar.  They are spicy and soft.  They immediately take me back to my school age years and my time with Esther.

Mincemeat Cookies

1 cup of butter, room temperature

2 cups of sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups of mincemeat 

3 cups of flour

1 tsp of soda

1/4tsp of ground ginger

1 tsp of cloves

1 tsp of nutmeg

1/2 tsp of salt

In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.  In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in the eggs, one at a time then half the dry ingredients.  Once combined, add in the mincemeat then the remaining dry ingredients.  Drop cookies onto a cookie sheet, about 1 TBS per cookie.  Bake at 375degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.  These cookies are very soft when they come out but will stiffen a bit while on a cooling rack.  Enjoy!