I'd like to submit a recipe for my Grandmother's famous "rock" cookies. They are called rocks because they have so many yummy things in them - chocolate, dates, nuts & spices. Growing up, these were my absolute favorite.
My grandmother used to make thousands of Christmas cookies every year and distribute them to friends and neighbors. She would usually ship my family a big box that we would keep in the freezer and enjoy for many weeks. These cookies are especially delicious straight out of the freezer when they are cold & hard (exactly like rocks) and you can savor them bit by bit.

Now that I'm an adult & I own my own catering business, these "rocks" have become a favorite of my clients as well.

This recipe is also well suited to variation. Simply substitute your favorite nuts & dried fruits. I'm including my grandmother's original version here that she copied down for my mom before she died. But I've done lots of different versions over the years. I particularly love a variation I have baked with pecans & dried strawberries.

ROCKS

Yield:
makes 6 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c sifted all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 c butter
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 TBS milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chunks
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cup chopped dates

Directions:
-Preheat the oven to 350F.
-Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon & cloves together.
-Work butter until soft, add sugar gradually & work until smooth.
-Separate the eggs and beat in the yolks one at a time. Then stir in the milk & vanilla.
-Mix a little of the flour mixture into the nuts & chopped fruits.
-Stir the remaining flour mixture into the batter. Then add the fruit & nut mix.
-Then, beat the egg whites till they stand in points and gently fold them into the batter.
-Drop the cookies from a teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Leave room to spread.
-Bake for 12-14 minutes.