Ingredient Title Chef Category

The much maligned fruitcake

If you think you don't like fruitcake it's because you've never had a good one. A moist, cake rich with fruit and nuts has many virtues. It is not difficult to make, it can be made far ahead of the holiday frenzy and it makes a wonderful gift when baked in mini-loaf pans.

Don't be afraid of any fruitcake recipe The end product is heavy as sin, so about the only way you can do damage is to burn it. The other thing to remember is that you can omit any dried or candied peel that you don't like and you can substitute some of the wonderful dried fruit (dried cherries are a great addition) or candied fruits (dried papaya is another winner) that are now readily available.

To store fruitcake, wrap the loaves or tube cakes in brandy- or wine-soaked linens. You can make a few fine skewer punctures in the cake and pour over it very slowly, 1/4 to 1 cup heated, but not boiling, brandy or wine. However you glaze, or soak the cake, wrap it in liquor-soaked linen, then foil. Before the birth of aluminum foil, for very long storage the liquor-soaked cakes were buried in confectioners sugar. Some were said to have lasted 25 years! When thawed always store in a tightly covered tin in a cool place.

FRUITCAKE CONFECTION

½ cup sifted all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup soft shortening
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
2 eggs, unbeaten
2 tablespoons orange juice
3 ½ cups pecan halves
1 cup diced preserved pineapple
½ cup diced preserved orange peel
½ cup diced preserved lemon peel
¼ cup diced preserved citron or papaya
1 cup candied (or dried) cherries

Heat oven to 300⁰F. With 2 thickness waxed paper, line 1 1/4" deep, 8" layer cake pan or 2 mini-loaf pans. Sift together first 5 ingredients. In large mixer bowl, cream shortening with sugar, then with honey and eggs, until very light and fluffy. Then beat in alternately, just until smooth, flour mixture and orange juice. Spread one-third of batter in cake pan(s). To remaining batter, add the rest of the ingredients, reserving a few pecans and cherries; spoon onto batter in pan, packing down batter and leveling top. Decorate with reserved nuts and cherries. Cover with brown paper or foil. Set in shallow pan of hot water (water should be only one fourth depth of pan(s)). Bake 1 hour; remove from water; bake until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. For a shiny top, brush with hot white corn syrup or honey. Cool completely in baking pan(s) on a wire rack. Keeps up to 2 months wrapped in foil and refrigerated.

OLD FASHIONED DARK FRUIT CAKE

This makes 12 pounds of fruit cake, two 4 1/2 x 8-inch loaves plus two 9-inch tube pans - or make mini-loaves or even bake in muffin pans.

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cloves
1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon nutmeg
½tablespoon mace
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 ½ pounds currants
2 ½ pounds raisins, cup up
1 pound citron, cut up
1 pound pecans, broken
1 pound brown sugar
1 pound butter
15 eggs, separated
¼ cup bourbon and ½ cup wine OR ½ cup thick apricot or grape juice

Preheat oven to 275⁰F. Line baking pans with greased waxed paper. Reserve 1 cup of the flour and sift the remaining 3 cups with the spices and salt into a very large bowl. Stir the currants, raisins, and pecans into the reserved flour. Cream brown sugar and butter together until light. Beat in egg yolks and add the flour mixture alternately with the ½ cup liquid. Beat whites until stiff and fold into mixture. Pour into pans and place the pans in a shallow pan filled with hot water in the oven. Bake 2 to 5 hours depending upon size of pan. Remove pan of water for last hour of baking. Test for doneness by inserting toothpick in cake. When it comes out clean move the cakes to the cooling rack.

BRAZIL NUT SENSATION

A nut cake that substitutes for a fruit cake - is obviously for the nuts who don't like fruit cake.

¼ cup sifted all-purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups shelled Brazil nuts (2 pounds unshelled)
1 pound pitted dates
1 cup maraschino cherries, well drained
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300⁰F. Grease, then line loaf pan or mini-pans with waxed paper. Sift together first 4 ingredients. In large bowl, place nuts, dates, cherries; sift flour mixture over all; with hands, mix until nuts and fruits are well coated. Beat eggs until foamy; add vanilla; stir well into nut mixture; spread evenly in pan(s). Bake 1 hour 45 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack. Wrap in foil and refrigerate. Keeps 5 or 6 weeks.

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