1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Adjust the racks so they’re toward the middle of the oven with several inches in between. Cut the bread into cubes no bigger than 1 inch; you should have 5 packed cups. Put the bread cubes in a food processor with the sugar and let the machine run until the mixture looks like wet sand, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add the butter and let the machine run until the dough starts to form a loose ball around the blade, about a minute. Scrape down the sides of the work bowl with a rubber spatula and repeat. Add the eggs and vanilla and let the machine run for another minute, stopping once or twice to scrape the sides again.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in a large bowl. Transfer the bread crumb mixture to the bowl and add the fruit. Stir until a somewhat loose dough forms.
4. Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto large ungreased cookie sheets. Space them about an inch apart; you should have about 24 cookies. Press the mounds down gently with your finger to flatten them. Bake, switching the cookie sheets between racks and rotating them if necessary after about 10 minutes to promote even baking, until the cookies begin to brown around the edges and are slightly firm to the touch, 20 to 30 minutes. Carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool. They’ll keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several days or frozen for weeks.

— Recipe adapted from Bittman Bread