Hummingbird Cake
A Southern gem that boasts three incredibly moist layers flavored with canned pineapple and bananas. The Story The Hummingbird Cake
Matrey Law’s Fruitcake Cookies offer a fun, easy, and delicious twist on traditional fruitcake. This recipe is ideal for your holiday dessert menu and makes the best Christmas cookies!
The Story
The Fruitcake Cookies that Slap
Let me take you back to the late 1970s, a magical time when polyester reigned supreme, disco was still cool, and my tastebuds were tragically unprepared for greatness.
I was visiting Matrey Momma—aka Matrey Law, the undisputed queen of buttery goodness—when I witnessed what looked like a culinary crime scene unfolding in her kitchen. She stood there, wielding a knife like a pecan-chopping ninja, surrounded by what looked like a rainbow explosion of candied fruit. There was barely any batter to be seen. Just nuts. So many nuts. It looked like a squirrel’s dream and my worst fruitcake-fueled nightmare.
I remember thinking, “This cannot be edible. I hate fruitcake. This is how it ends for me—death by neon fruit cubes.”
But oh… how wrong I was.
One bite in, and I had to reevaluate my entire childhood. These cookies weren’t just edible—they were glorious, buttery little nuggets of holiday magic. I should’ve known better. Matrey Momma’s secret ingredient wasn’t just love—it was butter. So much butter, Paula Deen would’ve blushed.
Fast forward to now, and every single Christmas, my friends practically beg me to make them. “Yours tastes better than mine!” they whine. And I nod graciously while internally muttering, “It’s because you’re lazy and used pre-chopped nuts. Shame.”
Don’t get me wrong, this recipe is simple, but it is a commitment. We’re talking about seven cups of nuts and two whole pounds of candied fruit. That’s not a recipe—that’s a gym workout with a sugar reward.
Every year, I threaten to skip making them. “Too much work,” I say. “I’m too busy.” And yet… the spirit of Matrey Momma (and the guilt from my ride-or-die friends) always pulls me back in. So I put on some Temptations’ holiday tunes, pour a shot of bourbon, and chop nuts like it’s a competitive sport.
And every year, as that sweet, buttery smell fills my kitchen, I realize it’s totally worth it. Because these cookies? They don’t just convert fruitcake haters—they make them believers.
So go ahead. Embrace the butter. Respect the chop. And whatever you do, don’t skimp on the nuts.
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content may vary depending on the brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and other factors.
A Southern gem that boasts three incredibly moist layers flavored with canned pineapple and bananas. The Story The Hummingbird Cake
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