On Mon, 05 Dec 2005 15:28:45 -0800, Dan Abel > wrote:

>Fifty was a while back for me. Day after tomorrow is 56. I'm not
>looking forward to it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAN!

>I don't know what your problem is with your Mom's fruitcake recipe. If
>you are going to make meatballs, and have a recipe for 20, then if you
>want 40 or 10, just double or halve the ingredients. Not a problem.
>Not so simple with meatloaf. The directions for cooking won't be the
>same if you double or halve. Meatloaf is pretty forgiving, though.
>Most people don't advise scaling baking recipes, unless you know what
>you are doing. The leavening, baking time and baking temperature all
>vary according to size of what you are making. Still, if you have a
>recipe for one cake, and you want two, just double the ingredients. The
>recipe should be the same. If you have a recipe for two cakes, and you
>only want one, just cut the ingredients in half. It should be fine. I
>think that fruitcake is more forgiving than most baking. You've already
>posted that you might do muffin tins and coffee cans. If you are using
>the same recipe for both, then the whole scaling thing is already out
>the window. If your Mom's recipe makes 8 loaves, and you just want two,
>then cut all the ingredients by four. I'm not the baker in the family,
>but I made fruitcake once. I did muffin tins and bread pans at the same
>time. I just took out the muffin tins a whole lot earlier.

I'm making the full batch. In fact, the stuff I bought came in such
large containers that I can make a second batch after Christmas, for
next year. All I'll need is more raisins.

I finally remembered to buy toothpicks, and I'm hoping that I'll
choose well when deciding what to pull out of the oven, and when. I
also found the white cupcake papers with holly and berries on them.

I found myself looking longingly at the dates and apricots. At some
point, I'd like to make a dried fruit fruitcake.

Carol
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