Traditional fruitcake is loaded with dried fruits and nuts, then soaked in liquor or liqueur. These go together quickly, but they do take a long time to bake, so plan ahead.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 pound white or golden raisins
- 2 pounds candied cherries
- 2 cups chopped preserved watermelon rind or 2 cups candied pineapple
- 2 pounds shelled hardshell or softshell pecans
- 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 pound light brown sugar
- 12 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 10 ounces elderberry jelly or blackberry jelly
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg
- Rum, almond liqueur, or pear cordial for drizzling
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line 3 large or 6 small loaf pans with greased parchment paper. Place 1 cup of the flour in a large mixing bowl, add the raisins, cherries, watermelon rind, and pecans, toss to coat well, and reserve.
With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs, about 2 or 3 at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add 1 more cup of the flour and the baking powder and mix well. Add the jelly and mix well again. Add 1 more cup of the flour and the cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and mix well. Mix in the remaining 1 cup flour. Fold in the reserved fruit and nuts, about 1 cup at a time, discarding the extra flour, until all have been folded into the batter. The batter will be very lumpy.
Fill the prepared loaf pans 3/4 full with the batter. For moistness, place a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven. Place the loaf pans on the middle rack. Bake the small loaves for 2-1/2 hours and the large loaves for 3 hours, checking occasionally to make sure there is water in the bottom pan. The fruitcakes are done when the tops are browned, the cakes pull away from the sides of the pans, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Turn out the cakes onto racks to cool to room temperature. Sprinkle the cakes with rum, almond liqueur, or pear cordial to flavor them and keep them moist. Wrap the fruitcakes tight in aluminum foil and store them in airtight tins or zippered plastic bags.
Note: Candied cherries and pineapples are available during the holiday season in supermarkets. If you live near an Eastern European ethnic market you often can find glacéed cherries (and occasionally, pineapple) that are especially good in a fruitcake.
Yield: 6 small or 3 large fruitcakes
Recipe Source: Prairie Home Cooking by Judith M. Fertig (Harvard Common Press)
Reprinted with permission.
With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs, about 2 or 3 at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add 1 more cup of the flour and the baking powder and mix well. Add the jelly and mix well again. Add 1 more cup of the flour and the cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and mix well. Mix in the remaining 1 cup flour. Fold in the reserved fruit and nuts, about 1 cup at a time, discarding the extra flour, until all have been folded into the batter. The batter will be very lumpy.
Fill the prepared loaf pans 3/4 full with the batter. For moistness, place a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven. Place the loaf pans on the middle rack. Bake the small loaves for 2-1/2 hours and the large loaves for 3 hours, checking occasionally to make sure there is water in the bottom pan. The fruitcakes are done when the tops are browned, the cakes pull away from the sides of the pans, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Turn out the cakes onto racks to cool to room temperature. Sprinkle the cakes with rum, almond liqueur, or pear cordial to flavor them and keep them moist. Wrap the fruitcakes tight in aluminum foil and store them in airtight tins or zippered plastic bags.
Note: Candied cherries and pineapples are available during the holiday season in supermarkets. If you live near an Eastern European ethnic market you often can find glacéed cherries (and occasionally, pineapple) that are especially good in a fruitcake.
Yield: 6 small or 3 large fruitcakes
Recipe Source: Prairie Home Cooking by Judith M. Fertig (Harvard Common Press)
Reprinted with permission.
