Well-its time for fruit cakes again

[franmarz]

About 10 years ago, when we moved to our present site, I brought my 8 year old fruit cake with me. It has since been devoured, only by myself,as I am the only one that eats fruit cakes.
Every 6 months, I doused it with Napoleon Brandy, and it was excellent.
Now I am out of it all, and have Googled for many different recipes.
If anyone has a granny tried and true old recipe, I would like to read it, and maybe incorporate it into the one I will make. A fruit cake is in my opinion-a great work of art.

[The empressof all]

1. It's too late to make Fruitcake for this Christmas IMO

You don't have time for it to properly age. I have one that I ordered from the monks that I've been brushing brandy on for the last three months. I'm with you ....I love fruit cake...

[eleny]

2. Please share where you got yours from!

If they sell them all year round, I'm game. I'm a fruitcake lover, too. Nice when they go on half sale at Soopers after the holidays!

[The empressof all]

4. Here are the Monks I buy mine from

www.HermitageBigSur.com

I believe there are a number of different monasteries now that make them. I think the most famous ones are a Trappist order in the South east somewhere. I don't know how I found this group....but I've ordered from them now for several years. I usually get the combo Date Nut/ Fruitcake package. Pricey...But worth every single penny. Since I'm the only one here who likes the stuff anyway I can make it last a very long time. I also like to add more Brandy to the cake, so I do a light brushing every week or so and then keep it tightly wrapped. It's gotta be really moist and almost a little soggy for me to pronounce perfection.

[eleny]

5. oh my god

grape brandy. wow! and the fruits in the cake sound great. yes it's pricey but i think i have to try these.

[NMDemDist2]

8. you'd love my Grammy's cake (below) then TEoA n/t

[japple]

3. I don't care for fruitcake with glaceed cherries and pineapple, but I do

love dried fruit. This past weekend, I made a variation on this recipe for Apricot Pistachio Fruitcakes from Bon Apetit 1992 that I found here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/2803

I couldn't use pistachios, since they weren't readily available in my area and I prefer walnuts and pecans, so I used that. Instead of using two 5x7" loaf pans, I used one 7" round and two smaller loaf pans. Haven't tasted it yet, but it smelled heavenly I got a smidegen of the crust from the side of the pan and it was good. The cakes were very pretty and will look even better once they're decorated with blanched almonds.

You might try epicurious for a good recipe. I've been pleased with what I've found there.

[japple]

6. P.S. And Emeril had a Creole Christmas Fruit Cake

recipe on Food Network's website that I'm going to make today. It also uses dried fruit instead of candied. The Whiskey Sauce sounds divine.

[japple]

11. Well it did sound divine, and it looked lovely after coming out

of the oven, but I think I didn't let it get stale enough before I started soaking it in the brandy/syrup. When I tried to cut it, it fell to pieces. For the rest of the story, go to the thread on cake crumbs to see what happened to Emeril's Creole Christmas Fruit Cake.

Ho Ho Ho.

[NMDemDist2]

7. i have one from my grammy. it takes a couple days to make though

here it is

Grammy's Kentucky Blackberry Jam Cake

1 c sugar
1/2 c Crisco
3/4 c Blackberry Jam (or any kind with seeds)
1 1/2 c flour
2 eggs
1/2 c buttermilk
1 tsp each of Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice and cloves
1/2 tsp soda
1 3/4 cup nuts (she usually used walnuts)
1 1/2 cup candied or dried fruit (your choice but make sure there's some raisins in there)

heat oven to 350 and grease and flour a bundt pan (double recipe for an angel food cake pan)

mix by hand all the spices, soda and the flour--set aside

cream sugar and shortening by hand until smooth. Add eggs one at a time and beat into mixture, then add jam. Add flour mixture (1/4 of the batch at a time), then add buttermilk. Add nuts and fruit folding in gently until fully mixed.

bake at 350 for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 200 degrees. Bake an additional 1.5 hours or until done for the Bundt pan, or about 3 hours for the angel food pan.

Invert cake on plate to cool, while still warm slowly pour blackberry brandy, soaking as much as the cake will absorb. Repeat adding brandy until you have added about 1 cup for the small cake and 2 cups for the large (this may take several pours over as much as two days)

Store tightly wrapped (and it freezes well too)

The only fruit cake I'd ever eat and now, no way Jose can I blow my 13 years sobriety for a Holiday Cake :rofl:

but try it, and please let me know if you enjoyed it!

[watercolors]

9. California fruit cake

You can bake it now, or any time, delicious and very rich!


3/4 c flour 1 c. whole pitted dates
3/4 c brown sugar 1 c. whole apricots
1/4 tsp baking powder 1 c. brazil nuts
1/4 tsp baking soda 1 c. dried tropical fruit (SUNKIST; papaya, pineapple and mango )
3 eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla walnuts or pecans can be used if you prefer. I have also used dried
cranraisins if you can't find the tropical fruit pkg.

combine dry ingrd. mix in nuts and fruit, coat well
add eggs and vanilla, make sure all it is well blended. batter will be very stiff.

I use three small mini loaf pans, greased and lined the bottonm with a sheet of parchment. It will make one large loaf, 5x 9" pan.

Bake at 300 degrees, 1 hour for mini loaves, 1 1/2 hrs for large loaf.

It freezes well , slice thin


when you serve it, quite rich, great with a nice glass of port wine and enjoy

[OldLeftieLawyer]

10. Here's THE place for fruitcakes,

at least among the folks we know - http://monasteryfruitcake.org/. Their products are beyond excellent.

Check out their "fraters."

These dudes know everything about sinful, I would say.