My Mom’s “Easy” Holiday Fruitcake
According to my mom, this particular fruitcake was a simplified version of her grandmother’s dark fruitcake. It is easier in
that my mother took some shortcuts, like using the Pillsbury Date Bread Mix, etc. However, this cake must be prepared
well in advance of serving it. According to my mom, her grandmother would make fruitcakes around Halloween and
then continue adding a thimbleful of brandy to it daily until Christmas. My mom always was unhappy that she never
seemed to get her fruitcake made until the first weekend of December or midweek of the second week. This is a truly
delicious dark fruitcake.
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups brandy (or 1 ˝ cup brandy and ˝ cup rum)
- 2 packages of Pillsbury Date Bread Mix
- 2 cups pecans (halved or chopped)
- 2 cups raisins
- 1 cup red candied cherries
- 1 cup green candied cherries
- 1 cup sliced candied pineapple, cut in wedges
- 1 cup mixed candied fruit
Grease and flour bottom and sides of 12 cup bunt fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube (angel food) pan. In a large bowl,
put pecans and mix with some Pillsbury Date Bread Mix. Add raisins and mix with some p.d.b.m. Add red cherries
and some more p.b.d.m. Add green cherries and some more p.d.b.m. Add pineapple and more p.d.b.m. Add
mixed candied fruit and more p.d.b.m. Be sure all fruit is coated with p.d.b.m.
In another large bowl, combine eggs and brandy. Mix well. Add second box of p.d.b.m. to egg and brandy mixture.
Combine all ingredients, by hand. Stir until well mixed.
Put into prepared pan. Bake at 350 F until toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. (75 minutes to 1 ˝ hours)
Cool 30 minutes in pan; loosen edges and remove from pan. Cool completely.
To store, wrap in tea towel that is always damp with brandy. (Keep tea towel well moistened.) Wrap tightly in foil;
may be placed in tin. Refrigerate. Decorate with candied cherries and nuts. Keep pouring liquor on it about every
other day.
This humorous image was on Atwater's fruitcake box,
which was a tasty fruitcake. Atwater's fruitcake is
fairly tasty. It is only soaked in rum, for about a
week. My mother's recipe uses both brandy and rum.
If you don't want to go through the whole process
of making my mother's recipe, you should consider
purchasing Atwater's fruitcake in Maryland.
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