For those who do not care for citron, try this fruitcake. It uses dried apricots, apricot preserves, pecans, and brandy. Feel free to add raisins or other favorite dried fruits in place of part of the apricots. Enjoy this fruitcake year-round.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hours, 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2-1/2 packages (6 ounces each) dried apricot halves (2-1/2 cups), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 cups pecans (8 ounces), coarsely chopped, plus 2/3 cup pecan halves
- 1 Tablespoon plus 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter or margarine (2 sticks), softened
- 1-1/4 cups sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1/2 cup brandy
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup apricot preserves
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease 9- to 10-inche tube pan.In medium bowl, toss apricots and coarsely chopped pecans with 1 tablespoon flour. In another medium bowl, combine remaining 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt.
In large bowl with mixer at low speed, beat butter and sugar until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to low. Add eggs, brandy, vanilla, and flour mixture; beat until well blended, scraping bowl. Stir in apricot mixture.
Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Arrange pecan halves on top of batter in two concentric circles. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour 10 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Run thin knife around cake to loosen from side and center tube of pan; lift tube to separate from bottom of pan. Invert cake on to wire rack and remove center tube. Turn cake, right side up, onto rack to cool completely.
In 1-quart saucepan, heat apricot preserves over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until melted and bubbling. Strain through sieve set over small bowl. With pastry brush, brush cooled cake with preserves. Or wrap cake and refrigerate up to 1 week, then brush with preserves before serving.
Yield: 24 servings
Variation
Cranberry Raisin Fruitcake:
Prepare as directed but substitute 2 cups walnuts (8 ounces), toasted and coarsely chopped, plus 2/3 cup walnut halves for pecans and 1-1/2 cups golden raisins plus 1 cup dried cranberries for apricots.
Each serving: About 300 calories, 4g protein, 35g carbohydrate, 17g total fat (6g unsaturated), 65mg cholesterol, 233mg sodium.
Recipe Source: The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook edited by Susan Westmoreland (Hearst Books)
Reprinted with permission.
