Lady Bird Johnson's Moonrocks

This recipe is from Lady Bird Johnson, wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson who grew up in the nearby town of Johnson City and for whom the Johnson Space Center is named. Because of their association with space, the rock cookies are called Moon Rocks or as Maida Heatter called them, Moonrocks. They're a type of German cookie stuffed with dates, nuts and other dried fruit

Mrs. L.B.J.'s Moonrocks Tasting Notes

This version is particularly good because of the corn syrup, which keeps the centers from being overly dry. But they are still dry-ish because they are rock cookies. The shell is denser than the center, which is flavorful and well suited for accommodating a very large amount of fruits and nuts. If you happen to have some dry or crystallized ginger, it's also a very good addition.

Update:  I've made these dozens of times since posting, and with several variations. I sometimes use molasses in place of the dark corn syrup, and I often use cranberries instead of dates. Pecans are a good substitute for the walnuts, but of course walnuts are good too. The full recipe calls for 4 cups of flour. I've successfully scaled the recipe down to ⅓ and made smaller batches

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Recipe

Fruit Rocks aka Moonrocks

Anna

This is a version of Maida' Heatter's "Mrs. LBJ's Moonrocks". The original recipe calls for dates, but I usually substitute cranberries.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Total Time 38 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 44

Ingredients

 

• 4 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour (510 grams)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon each - cinnamon cloves, allspice, nutmeg
• 8 oz unsalted butter softened (230 grams)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cup granulated sugar (300 grams)
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup dark corn syrup
• ¾ cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 1 cup chopped pitted dates OR dried cranberries
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 cups toasted coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
• Optional -- small handful of white chips

Instructions

 

• Sift together flour, baking soda and spices. Set aside.
• In a second bowl, beat together softened butter and sugar. Beat in egg, syrup (or molasses) and lemon zest.
• Stir flour mixture into butter mixture until combined. Stir in coconut, dried cranberries (or dates), raisins and nuts. Throw in some white chips if you like.
• Using a medium cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon, make about 44 balls of dough. Press down slightly.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until the cookies are brown around the edges. As cookies cool, the edges will get very crisp, but the middle stays soft.

Keyword Lady Bird Johnson, Moonrocks

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