It's Time To Make A Christmas Fruitcake

• Produce

  • 1 lb Candied cherries, red
  • 1 lb Candied cherries, green
  • 2 lb Candied fruit (orange and lemon peel, mixed
  • 1 cup Raisins or dried cranberries

• Refrigerated

  • 6 Eggs

• Condiments

  • 3/4 cup Preserves or jam

• Baking & Spices

  • 2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp Of cloves
  • 2 cups Self rising flour
  • 1 cup Sugar

• Nuts & Seeds

  • 4 cups Nuts, Assorted

• Dairy

  • 1/2 lb Butter, real

• Beer, Wine & Liquor

  • 1 Liquor
  • 1 cup Sherry

Found on thehypertufagardener.com

Description

Ingredients

• 4-5 cups assorted nuts (walnuts and pecans are what I use)
• 1 lb red candied cherries ( I like to leave these whole for pretty slices)
• 1 lb green candied cherries ( same as above)
• 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries ( or mixture of both)
• 2 lb mixed candied fruit (orange and lemon peel , pineapple etc)
• 1 cup sherry, brandy or any liquor of choice
• 1/2 pound real butter (2 sticks)
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 eggs, separated
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp each of cloves, ginger, and nutmeg
• 3/4 cup preserves or jam ( strawberry, grape, apricot)
• additional liquor for soaking/wrapping while it ages

Directions

• Mix all the fruit and nuts together in a large bowl , You may coarsely chop nuts, if desired)
• Add the 1 cup of sherry and mix thoroughly
• Cover and let set, mixing occasionally, for a minimum of 24 hours
• Cream butter with sugar
• Add egg yolks and mix well.
• Mix in all the spices and then stir in flour. Batter is stiff as you mix it.
• Add preserves/jam and mix well.
• Fold in the fruit and nut mixture.
• Beat the egg whites until it forms peaks.
• Fold into mixture of batter and fruit/nuts.
• Grease pans. Line pans with foil or parchment paper if possible for easy removal, bundt pan grease thoroughly. I have had beautiful cakes in bundt pans, and heartbreaking disasters getting it out.
• Bake at 300
• Large bundt pan: approx 2.5 hours
• regular loaf pans: approx 2 hours
• small loaf pans: approx 1 hour
• For all times, bake until toothpick test shows done.
• Let cool for 20 minutes, then turn cake out onto wire rack for cooling.
• You may sprinkle or mist liquor on cake while cooling.
• Wrap and store in liquor-dampened cloth for 4 weeks in sealed container or bag. Every week or ten days, re-dampen with liquor, re-wrap and seal again.
• The cakes should be cured in dark, dry, cool place. In a refrigerator is fine.