These were year-round favorite family cookies as I was growing up. They are from my mother's recipes. Mom used dried Nonesuch Mincemeat when she didn't have her own canned mincemeat. I used to can my own mincemeat to make them, too, when I lived in Michigan and was raising a family.

Mom particularly like the cookies with a cup of tea. We kids just liked them any way we could get them.

Mom's Mincemeat Cookies

1 c butter
1 and 3/4 c sugar
1 c chopped nuts (black walnuts, if you have them)
1 tsp soda
2 eggs
1 and 1/2 c mincemeat
1 tsp lemon extract
3 and 1/2 cups flour
salt if desired

1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
2. Beat in eggs.
3. Add nuts, lemon extract, and mincemeat. Stir well.
4. Sift together dry ingredients, and stir into mix.
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350° until edges are brown.