Posted by sandy on December 23, 2000 at 13:25:45:
In Reply to: NO CITRUS fruitcake posted by Karen on November 07, 2000 at 12:30:21:
: Mom's Brazil Nut Fruit Cake
: Makes 1 - 9 x 5 inch loaf
: 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
: 3/4 cup white sugar
: 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
: 1/2 teaspoon salt
: 3 cups Brazil nuts
: 1 pound pitted dates
: 1 cup maraschino cherries, drained
: 3 eggs
: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease one 9x5 inch loaf pan.
:
: Sift the flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Mix in the nuts, dates,
: and cherries.
:
: Beat the eggs until foamy, add the vanilla and the flour mixture. Stir until just
: combined and pour into the prepared pan.
:
: Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Store in the
: refrigerator, wrapped in foil.
: __________________________________________________
: Mom's Fruit Cake
: Makes 3 - 8 x 4 inch loaf pans
: 1 cup currants
: 2 cups raisins
: 1 cup candied cherries
: 1 ounce small gum drops, no licorice ones
: 2 cups pitted dates, cut in half
: 1 1/4 cups walnuts
: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
: 1 teaspoon ground cloves
: 2 teaspoons ground allspice
: 1/4 cup brandy
: 1 cup apple jelly
: 3 cups boiling water to cover
: 1 1/4 cups butter
: 3 cups white sugar
: 7 eggs
: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
: 5 cups all-purpose flour
: 1 teaspoon baking soda
:
: Pour boiling water over raisins and currants to cover. Let steam for 5 minutes, then
: drain. In a very large bowl combine currants, raisins, gum drops, candied cherries,
: pitted dates, jelly, spices, and brandy. Stir to blend. Cover and let stand overnight.
:
: Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease three 8x4 inch loaf pans.
:
: Cream the butter and the sugar together until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a
: time, mixing well after each one. Stir in the vanilla.
:
: Sift the flour and baking soda together.
:
: Add the flour mixture alternately with the fruit mixture to the creamed mixture. Pour
: evenly into three loaf pans.
:
: Bake at 275 degrees F (135 degrees C) for 2-1/4 to 3 hours or until a toothpick
: inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean.
: __________________________________________________
: Fabulous Holiday Fruitcake
: Yield: Makes 14 cups of batter; 8 small loaves (5 1/2 x 3 x 2 1/8), 8
: servings each or 4 average loaves (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4), 16 servings
: each.
: Advance preparation: If you have the time, the fruit benefits from
: macerating for 24 hours in rum or brandy; otherwise mix up the fruit before
: you make the cakes. Cakes can be wrapped in cloths soaked in brandy or
: dark rum and stored in tins for (theoretically) several months. I have
: only kept them soaking up to 1 month because I prefer to freeze the cakes
: after aging them in spirit-soaked clothes for 1 week. At holiday time, I
: am usually rushed, so I often forget the soaking and aging and just bake
: the cakes, glaze them, wrap airtight in several layers of plastic wrap and
: a heavy duty plastic zip-lock bag, and freeze. Then you can remove from
: the freezer, add a ribbon and a recipe card (and if you are feeling
: expensive, a new loaf pan) and give as gifts.
: Special equipment:
: *8 small loaf pans (5 1/2 x 3 x 2 1/8 inches; 2 1/4 cup capacity) or 4
: average loaf pans (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4 inches; 5 1/4 cup capacity)
: *Wax paper or baking parchment
: *Extra large bowl
: *Muslin, cotton fabric, or cheesecloth (optional)
: *Metal or plastic boxes for storing cakes (optional)
: Temperature and Time: 350F for 60-65 minutes for small loaves; 1 hour and
: 15-20 minutes for average loaves.
: Fruit:
: 1 cup (6 oz) cut-up dried pears, packed
: 1 cup (6 oz) cut-up dried peaches, packed
: 1 cup (6 oz) cut-up dried apricots, packed
: 1 cup (6 oz) cut-up dried pitted prunes, packed
: 1 cup (6 oz) cut-up dried pitted dates, packed
: 1 3/4 cup (6 oz) cut-up dried apple slices, packed
: 1 cup (5 oz) seedless raisins, packed
: 1 cup (5 oz) golden raisins, packed
: 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz) dried currants, packed
: 1 cup dark rum or brandy
: Cake:
: Butter-flavor nonstick cooking spray
: 4 large egg whites
: 1 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
: 1/2 cup honey
: 1/3 cup apple juice
: 2 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
: 2 tsp. vanilla extract
: 1/2 tsp. pure orange oil or orange extract
: 2 1/4 cups unsifted all purpose flour
: 1 cup unsifted whole wheat pastry flour (or use a total of 3 1/4 cups all
: purpose white flour)
: 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
: 1/2 tsp. baking soda
: 3/4 tsp. salt
: 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
: 1 tsp. nutmeg
: 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
: 1/3 cup wheat germ
: Dark rum or brandy for soaking cakes (optional)
: 2 recipes Vanilla Icing Glaze (recipe follows)
: Twenty-four hours before baking the cakes (or as early on the baking
: day as possible), assemble all the fruit in a large bowl. Stir in the dark
: rum or brandy, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
: Position 2 racks to divide the oven in thirds, and preheat the oven to
: 350 F. Lightly grease the pans with the nonstick spray. Cut wax paper or
: parchment liners or fit inside, and press the papers against the greased
: pan bottom and sides. Lightly coat the paper with cooking spray.
: In a large bowl, combine the egg whites, brown sugar, honey, juice,
: applesauce, vanilla, and orange oil or orange extract. Whisk, or
: beat with an electric mixer on low, to blend well. Set a large strainer
: over the bowl and ad both flours, the baking powder, baking soda, salt and
: spices. Stir and sift the dry ingredients onto the wet. Add the wheat
: germ. With the whisk, or the mixer at low speed, mix until just blended.
: Do not over beat.
: Stir the spirit-soaked fruit into the batter and blend well. Divide
: the batter among the prepared pans, filling them about three quarters full.
: (The batter is very heavy, and while it does rise, it will not overflow the
: pans.) Bake small loaves for about 60-65 minutes and regular loaves for
: about 1 hour and 15-20 minutes, or until the cakes are risen and golden
: brown on top, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
: Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for about 10 minutes. Then
: tip them gently from the pans, peel off the paper, and set them right side
: up on wire racks to cool completely.
: When the cakes are completely cool, if you like, wrap them in rum- or
: brandy-soaked cloths, place in heavy-duty zip lock bags or plastic boxes,
: and set in a cool, dark location to age for about 1 month. Renew the
: sprits when they dry out. (Do not attempt to substitute fruit juice for
: spirits; only alcohol will preserve the cakes.)
: To glaze the cakes, set them on racks over wax paper. Drizzle some of
: the glaze on top of each cake, letting it run down the sides. Let sit until
: the glaze is dried and set, about 30 minutes. When the glaze is hard, you
: can wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and freeze them, or give them as gifts,
: or slice and serve.
:
: Vanilla Icing Glaze
: 1 cup confectioners sugar
: 1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp. apple juice or dark rum or brandy
: 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
: Whisk together the sugar, liquid and the extract. Add a few more drops of
: liquid if needed to make a glaze soft enough to drip from a spoon.
: __________________________________________________
: Texas Brazil Nut Fruit Cake
:
: Makes 3 - 9x5 inch loaves
:
: 1 cup white sugar
: 1 pinch salt
: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
: 4 eggs
: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
: 2 teaspoons baking powder
: 1 pound Brazil nuts
: 1 pound chopped walnuts
: 1 pound pecan halves
: 1 pound red candied cherries
: 1 pound green candied cherries
: 2 pounds pitted dates
: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease three 9x5 inch loaf pans,
: line them with parchment paper, and grease the paper.
:
: Beat eggs, salt and vanilla together until very light and lemon colored. Add sugar, 1
: cup of the flour and 2 teaspoons baking powder. Put brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans,
: red and green cherries into a large bowl. Dust with the remaining 1/2 cup flour. Then
: add the egg and sugar mixture. This is a very stiff mixture. Mix with hands.
:
: Press into 3 - 9x5 inch loaf pans which you have lined with parchment paper and
: have greased both pan and paper. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F (175 degrees
: C).