Time to Make the Fruitcake!

Actually I'm late this year. You really need to let it soak in the brandy for at least 4 weeks. Still time for Christmas though.

Trust me this is not the fruitcake people joke about. People always make jokes when they hear I am making fruitcake but if I can get them to actually taste my fruitcake they shut up real quick. There was a very nice gentleman in a former parish who always help me put up my Christmas tree in exchange for my fruitcake. He would talk about it all year.

There are mostly two reasons people don't like fruitcake. 1) they are into healthy food and don't believe in eating fruit that has been preserved in heavy syrup with artificial dyes. There's nothing I can do to help those people. They probably don't believe in Santa Clause either...

The other reason people don't like fruitcake is because they don't like citron and a lot of fruitcake is heavy on the citron. I don't like citron and so this cake does not have it.

Do not skimp on these ingredients. Yes it is rich and unhealthy. So what? You make it once a year, you give all away except one loaf (unless you are having a party). Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 C chopped dates
1 c golden raisins
2 c. candied pineapple, thinly sliced
2 c. red candied cherries, diced
1 c. green candied cherries, diced.
1 c. candied lemon peel
1 c. candied orange pee
1 c peach preserves
about 1 c Apricot Brandy
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c pecans, coarsely chopped
1 c butter
2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 pinch cloves
1 c. dark brown sugar
6 eggs

Directions:

The night before you bake, combine raisins, dates, cherries, pineapple, preserves with 1/2 C. brandy and vanilla in bowl. Cover. Let stand at room temperature overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 300. Grease and flour three 9 x 5 loaf pans --or smaller, I never know how many I'm going to fill.

Add nuts to fruit mixture. Set aside. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar. Beat eggs separately and add to butter and sugar. Add spices. Add flour. Pour batter into fruit mixture and stir to get all of the fruit covered. The batter is just there to keep the fruit together.

Pour into loaf pans. Pat down with fingers. Decorate with half candied cherries and whole pecans. Sprinkle with red or green sugar if you like. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for two hours. Remove foil and bake 30-40 minutes or until cakes are browned. Cool completely in pans on wire racks.

When cakes are cool, pour 1/4 brandy over each. Cover tightly with aluminum foil or wrap in cheese cloth and store for at lease two but no more than 6 weeks before eating.

Note --if this is too much booze, you can pour orange juice over the cakes and it will be good too. But not nearly as much fun.