Name: John Cleveland's Holiday Cookies Recipe
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Makes 6 dozen cookies
Ingredients: 3 cups Sonoran or all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup duck fat (cold); 1 1/2 cups sugar; 3 large eggs; 1 1/2 cups jarred mincemeat; Powdered sugar for garnish

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By John Cleveland

Nov. 14, 2024

For John Cleveland, who with wife Roni Cleveland runs Post & Beam, a California-soul restaurant in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, the Thanksgiving season begins when he makes the first batch of mincemeat cookies. Based on a recipe that his family has been making every holiday since his grandmother’s childhood, the cookies are fluffy, crumbly, rich with duck fat and warm with the spices of the season.

With much of his family on the East Coast, Cleveland can’t always fly out to enjoy the cookies over the holidays, so he started making them for himself and, eventually, the patrons of his restaurant, who can enjoy them on their own or in a luxurious trifle dessert. Cleveland makes his own mincemeat for the cookies, which you can purchase from the restaurant directly, but any jarred mincemeat works.

Cleveland Holiday Cookie

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream the duck fat and sugar on low speed until combined, pale and custardy, about 1 minute. Add eggs one at a time on low speed.

Remove the bowl from the mixer. With a wooden spoon, slowly mix in the dry ingredients until combined; do not overmix.

Fold in the mincemeat. Transfer to another container, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Portion 1-ounce cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are browned, about 20 minutes. Cookies should be golden brown when removed from the oven. Browned edges are OK. Let cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.