Holiday Fruit Drops

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans or 1 1/2 cups walnuts
• 2 cups candied cherries, halved
• 2 cups cut-up pitted dates