Christmas Fruit Cake Cookies

This recipe is well over 100 years old.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs, separated
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 pound candied cherries, finely chopped
• 1/2 pound candied pineapple, finely chopped
• 1/2 pound white raisins
• 1 quart shelled pecans, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in a little water