On Tue, 13 Dec 2005 08:27:34 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:
>Wow! Crash, who has sworn that he hates fruitcake, tasted a slice of
>one of the cupcakes I made, and actually liked it! I always use
>pecans (personal preference), but he said it needed walnuts. I'll cut
>back on the mixed fruit and use more whole candied cherries for the
>next batch. And I'll use both red and green.
>
>Here's the issue. Crash is a recovering alcoholic. He gave the
>fruitcake back to me after taking one slice and told me if he finished
>it, it would set him off. Rum was his drink of choice. He just asked
>me to hide the rest of the bottle. He can handle small amounts of
>other alcoholic beverages (wine, wine coolers, etc.), but not hard
>liquors.
>
>Is there anything about fruitcake that makes it require booze? I'd
>like to make this for him again, but I don't want the cake to be
>super-dry for lack of hootch.
>
>My thoughts: Pre-soak the fruits with orange juice? Add more of
>something to the batter recipe for moisture? Here is the recipe. Pics
>are available at link in my sig. I need to use *this* recipe, but am
>wondering if it needs alterations.
>
>
> * Exported from MasterCook *
>
> Fruitcake
>
>Recipe By 
amsel
>Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
>Categories : cakes
>
> Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
>-------- ------------ --------------------------------
> ----BATTER----
> 1 cup sugar
> 1 cup butter
> 1/8 teaspoon salt
> 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
> 1/4 teaspoon mace
> 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
> 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
> 6 large eggs
> 2 teaspoons lemon extract
> 2 teaspoons vanilla
> 2 teaspoons sherry
> 2 1/2 cups flour
> ----FRUIT MIXTURE----
> 1/2 pound candied cherries
> 1 pound golden raisins
> 1/2 pound seedless raisins
> 1/2 pound currants
> 1/2 pound chopped pecans
> 1 pound mixed fruitcake fruit
> flour -- to coat fruit
>
>In a large bowl, combine batter ingredients in the order given,
>beating in one egg at a time. In a huge bowl, combine fruits and nuts.
>Add enough flour to the fruit mixture to coat lightly. Pour batter
>over fruit mixture; combine well.
>
>Line baking pans with at least two layers of heavy brown paper, such
>as postal wrapping paper, or grocery bags. (Instructions at end of
>post, if needed) Spoon batter into pans, filling no more than 2/3
>full.. Place shallow pan of water in bottom of 300 degree oven and
>bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out
>clean (1-1/2 hours for 1 pound cake, 2-1/2 to 3 hours for larger
>cakes) Remove from oven and pour rum over cakes while still hot. When
>cooled just enough to handle, remove paper from cakes and cool on a
>wire rack.
>
>When thoroughly cooled, saturate with more rum (optional). Decorate
>tops with candied fruits, attached to cake with corn syrup.
>Examples:
>*One-half red cherry in center, with thin wedge-shaped slices of green
>pineapple on each side (rectangular cakes)
>*One-half green cherry in center, with thin wedge-shaped slices of
>yellow pineapple on each side (rectangular cakes)
>*Pecan half in center, with pineapple on each end (rectangular cakes)
>*One-half cherry with thin wedge-shaped slices of pineapple forming a
>starburst around cherry center (round cakes)
>
>Wrap neatly with plastic wrap, using tape to secure wrap at the bottom
>of each loaf.
>
>Baking containers:
>*Any size loaf pan. I like to make tiny, individual-sized cakes for
>gift-giving.
>*Short coffee or sweet potato (yam) cans.
>
>Lining baking pans:
>*Cut paper to size. Be sure to allow enough to cover bottom of pan,
>and up the sides.
>*Mark the paper (on the side that will be away from the cake) to the
>size and shape of the pan bottom.
>*For a rectangular pan, cut the paper from the outside corner to the
>marked corner, and stop there. Do this with all four corners. Place
>paper into pan, covering bottoms and sides of pan, and wrap excess
>paper around corners, inside the pan.
>*For a round pan, follow the same procedure, but cut the paper from
>the outside edges to the marked base of pan, cutting several times, in
>a starburst-type pattern.
>
>Source:
> "Pat and Carol Zastera"
>Yield:
> "4 1/2 pounds"
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I use Brandy for my fruitcakes. Just spritz them a couple of times
after they have cooled and wrap in plastic wrap. My grandmother's
recipe said to soak the fruits in white wine overnight. I don't think
I added more after baking.
In my opinion, alcohol is not necessary to a good fruitcake. But I
guess if it is the only way you have eaten it, the taste will not be
the same. Maybe you can taste the cake better.
--
Susan N.
"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974