Thursday, December 15, 2011

FINALS ARE OVER; and, Fruitcake Day One!

Now that FINALS ARE OVER (my last final was at noon today), I get the chance to really get into the holiday season. Lots of baking is planned!!

Fruitcake gets kind of a bad rap. I mean, your average fruitcake is made of cake and alcohol. Therefore, you think it would be something that people would like. Probably it's because most people have only had the icky store-bought kind made with borderline-neon candied fruit....

There are dark and light fruitcakes, alcoholic and nonalcoholic fruitcakes, plain and marzipan fruitcakes, but for the most part traditional fruitcake is made of spices, pound cake, dried fruit, nuts, and brandy and/or rum. Many fruitcakes are aged, some for months and some for a week or two.

Regardless, my own personal fruitcake (the recipe of which was created by elaborate Internet searching and recipe combining) takes a minimum of 3 days. On the first day, I prepare the fruit.

Ingredients:

Mixed dried fruit such as raisins, dates, apricots, apples... all kinds of things :)





Brandy

Pecans or other nuts


Chop the pecans and fruit into medium sized chunks and dampen well with brandy. 

(I know nothing about brandy. I just bought this.)



The idea is to plump the fruit, as well as give it an nice brandy flavor. Dark or golden rum can also be used.


Yum!!

Now let the fruit soak overnight, adding more brandy if necessary. Cover the mixture really, really well. Those of you who have tupperware containers, this is an ideal time for use. Brandy and chopped fruit... are a fruit fly magnet. 

Fruitcake Making Day 1: Complete!!!

3 comments:

  1. My Grammie LOVED fruit cake. I mean LOVED it. I agree with you though that most versions of it taste like a brick with some hard fruit shoved into it. Very unpleasant. I might try yours if I can move my bum from the couch.

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  2. I've never had fruit cake before. I know, it's hard to believe. I might be the only person who hasn't had it. But now I need to try it because it sounds and looks yummy. :)

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  3. Luckily this version is pretty moist and fruity instead of icky, though I know from experience it's easy to dry out the top of the cake, oops.

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