Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site harpo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!kjg
From: kjg@harpo.UUCP (K. J. Glass)
Newsgroups: net.cooks
Subject: re: Fruit cake
Message-ID: <1970@harpo.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Oct-83 13:06:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: harpo.1970
Posted: Fri Oct  7 13:06:58 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Oct-83 07:42:01 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Whippany
Lines: 118




                                  - 1 -



       Last year there were several recipes for fruit  cakes,  none
       of  which  appealled to me because I can't stand the candied
       fruit in them.  The Inspiration hit me and off I  went,  the
       result being my version:



                            HOLIDAY FRUIT CAKE
                          (one 3 lb. ring cake)



       Ingredients:   3     C          Pecans
                      1/2   C          Brazil nuts
                      1/2   C          Hazel nuts
                      1/2   C          raisins
                      1/2   C          currants
                      1/2   C          snipped dates
                      1                small jar marachino cherries
                      1/2   t          allspice
                      1/4   t          mace
                      1/2   t          nutmeg
                      1/4   t          ground cloves
                      1/2   t          baking powder
                      1     C          flour
                      3/8   C          (1.5 sticks) butter
                      1     C          dark brown sugar
                      3                eggs, beaten
                      1     t          vanilla extract
                      1/4   C          brandy


       Algorithm:

         1.  Sift flour, baking powder and spices together.

         2.  Mix nuts and fruit, dust with 1/4 C of flour mixture
             and set aside.

         3.  In a large bowl, cream butter until soft, add brown
             sugar and mix until smooth.

         4.  Mix eggs, vanilla, and brandy into butter/sugar
             mixture.

         5.  Gradually mix flour mixture (1) into wet stuff (4).

         6.  Mix fruit/nut mixture into (5).

         7.  Pour into 8" ring pan (see note), well greased and
             lined with foil.

         8.  Bake at 300 F for ~1&1/2 hours, until pick comes
             clean.  (Might want to leave a shallow pan of water in
             oven for first 45 minutes of baking)

         9.  Let cake cool a bit before removing from pan, and wrap
             (leave foil on) in cheesecloth lightly soaked in
             brandy (don't go overboard here - save some to sip by
             the fire).  Place in large food storage bag and store
             in one of those decorated round cans (see JCPenny
             around Thanksgiving, they'll have thousands).  It gets
             better with age; last year I made several about a
             month before christmas and they turned out great!  If
             you make them earlier, the cookbooks recommend packing
             in powdered sugar before storage.


       Pan: If you want to buy, or have a high sided,  spring  form
       pan,  use  it.   What  I  did was took a high sided cake pan
       (2.5" sides) and used a small (8 oz.),  empty  tomato  sauce
       can covered with foil to make the center hole.

       These also work out well when sent  to  relatives,  friends,
       enemies  (Christmas  spirit, remember?), etc.  Make sure the
       can you buy JUST fits the cake, and stick a little cardboard
       cylinder in the hole.

                              Enjoy!

                              Kevin J Glass
                              harpo!kjg