[Sca-cooks] Useful things to do with fruitcake

[Sue Clemenger]

Yeah, although I haven't made it years (not since my Dad died...he was 
the family fruitcake freak).  It's based on a "Guinness Cake" recipe in 
a little collection of Irish recipes.  Oh, lord, what were those 
ingredients (sounds of mental rummaging)....uhm, flour, sugar, real 
butter.  Eggs.  A bottle of Guinness Stout.  Minimal spices.  And for 
fruit/nuts, I used chopped, dried "mixed fruit" comprising golden 
raisins, apples, apricots, pears, etc.  (in other words, those mixed 
fruit packages, minus the nasty prunes).  Walnuts or pecans if desired. 
  I don't think I'd heard of candied ginger back then, although it would 
be nice.  No nasty candied commercial anything.  No molasses.
Lordy, but with today's dried fruit, you could really play.  Orange zest 
and dried cranberries and apricots...mmmm....or homemade candied 
peel...mmmmm.  Heck, you could even do lighter beers/ales for a 
different, lighter take.
I used to make them in October, and then wrap them in alcohol-soaked 
cheesecloth (alcohol could be brandy, or rum, or whiskey), and then in 
tinfoil.  Remoistened the cheesecloth weekly.
Dang, now I'm missing making Dad's annual Christmas present....*sigh*
--maire

lilinah at earthlink.net wrote:


> Anyone have a *good* fruitcake recipe with NO commercially candied 
> fruit, no maraschino cherries, no dried or candied pineapple in it, and 
> with a nice variety of dried fruit? Candied ginger is generally 
> delicious, so that's ok :-)
> 
> Anahita