Desperately Seeking Sanity Chocolate Chip Fruitcake Drop Cookies

Today is Friday, still my favorite day of the work week, even though I no longer have a work week. Especially this Friday, as it signifies the beginning of what I hope will be a lovely weekend - dinner with friends both tonight and tomorrow night, the "Doctor Who" season finale Saturday night, and then we start our cruise on Sunday.

Yesterday I overdid seriously and stupidly and suffered accordingly.  But geez, that stuff had to get done. I can't leave everything for Robert, as good as he is.  It's not right.  Same thing for Cory.  Anyway, I was in bitter pain by the time I tried to creep into the car on my way to Tai Chi class. I admit to taking a single Meloxicam, an NSAID that goes by the name of Mobic. I was prescribed these by the orthopedist after that bad fall I had taken at work last year.  Blessedly it started to take the edge off the really dreadful pain, and that allowed me to participate in class, and the Tai Chi took care of the rest. Really. Surprised me a bit. The exercises, properly done, will help to relax you, and I even derived the benefits when I was able to get out of bed this morning with only minor aches.

Continuing down a path lined with fresh-baked cookies, I made some ricotta cookies yesterday, and carrot cake cookie jumbles today, both recipes from Camilla Saulsbury's book.

This is something I sort of made up; it is still overwhelmingly a chocolate chip cookie, crisp and just a bit fruitcakish (if that's even a word.) There are no nuts, which I thought would make them more available to me during my dentally-challenged moments, but as it turns out the fruitcake mix firms up a bit, just enough to require I glue in my choppers. But that's my problem; these are delicious.

Desperately Seeking Sanity Chocolate Chip Fruitcake Drop Cookies

1 - 16.5 oz. roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

1 1/2 cups fruit and peel mix

1/4 cup chopped dates

1/4 cup dark raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking sheet (I use silpat).  In a large bowl, break up the cookie dough and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes until somewhat softened. Add the fruit and peel mix, the dates and the raisins, and with a rubber spatula work them into the cookie dough.

Using the 2 tablespoon scoop, place 12 cookies on the baking sheet.  Roll each cookie with your hands into a ball, then place back on the baking sheet.  Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the cookies are golden brown around the edges. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool.

I baked all day. I can't even remember how many, but boy, they were good. Tomorrow I'll give you the recipes for the Espresso Fudge Cups and the Big Fat Oatmeal Cookies with Pumpkin Spice Chips and Dried Cranberries.  Right now, all I can think about is Mexican food. Oh, and that the Magic won last night, making it FIVE IN A ROW.  And that by this time on Sunday, I will be done with the damn safety drill and free to enjoy the rest of our cruise.