Brandy Aged Fruitcake Food

BRANDY-AGED FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Combine all the nuts and dried fruits with the lemon zest and juice. Add the 2/3 cup of brandy and toss to coat the fruit and nuts with the liquor. Cover the bowl and let it sit overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9" cake pan with a parchment round. (see note)
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon,nutmeg, ginger and salt. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and aerated. Scrape down the bowl and the beater. Add the eggs, two at a time. Mix until combined then scrape down the bowl and the beater.
• With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 batches and mix until combined. Fold in the soaked fruit and all the liquid.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it out to an even layer. Bake until a toothpick poked in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. As soon as the pan is removed from the oven pour 1/4 cup of brandy over the top of the cake.
• Cool the cake to room temperature before removing from the pan. Wrap the cake in two layers of plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature.
• Once a week for at least 4 weeks, unwrap the cake and generously brush on all sides with more brandy.
• Unwrap the cake. Glue the cake to a cardboard cake circle using a dab of royal icing. Trim the cake cardboard to the same size as the cake. Place on another cardboard circle or serving plate. Ice the cake with apricot preserves.
• Roll the marzipan to a 14" round. Roll the marzipan onto the rolling pin then transfer and unroll onto the cake. Trim the marzipan flush with the bottom of the cake and board. Brush the marzipan with brandy.
• Roll the fondant to a 14" round and cover the cake over the marzipan. Trim the fondant flush with the bottom of the cake and board.
• Add dragees, stencils, glitter and marzipan holly or other decorations as you like.

FRIENDSHIP FRUITCAKE AND STARTER WITH BRANDY

Steps:

• Day 1: in a large bowl, combine brandy (or starter from a friend), 2 cups sugar and peaches; cover; store at room temperature.
• Stir daily.
• Day 5: Add 2 cups sugar and pineapple.
• Stir daily.
• Day 10: Add 2 cups sugar and cherries.
• Stir daily.
• Day 15: Drain fruit mixture; divide fruit in half.
• Reserve half for later use.
• Divide juice to make 3 or 4"starters" (at least 1-1/2 cups juice for each).
• Give juice"starter" to friends for use within 1 to 2 days.
• TO MAKE CAKE: Heat oven to 350 F degrees.
• Grease three 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans.
• Combine half the fruit and nuts in a large bowl; flour with 1/2 pkg (about 2 cups) cake mix; set aside.
• Blend 1-1/2 packages cake mix, eggs and oil in another large bowl on low speed of mixer till moistened; beat 2 minutes at medium speed.
• Pour batter over fruit-nut mixture; mix thoroughly.
• Pour into pans and bake 60 minutes.
• Do not open door or prick or pat to test for doneness.
• Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans.

BRANDIED FRUITCAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• In small bowl, combine the 3/4 cup cherries, pineapple and brandy.
• Cover and chill overnight.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and baking soda, set aside.
• For batter, in a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy.
• Add egg and cottage cheese and beat until combined, beat in flour mixture.
• Cover and chill overnight.
• Stir brandied fruits mixture into batter.
• Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Add additional cherries to garnish tops of cookies.
• Bake at 375°F for 9 to 11 minutes or until bottoms are light brown.
• Cool completely on racks.
• May be frozen.

RICH BRANDY CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• The night before you cook this place all the fruit fruit peel and nuts into a bowl and soak for 12 hours in the brandy and orange juice; Stir every time you go into the kitchen!
• pre-heat oven to 275ºF/140ºC.
• Grease and line with greaseproof paper an 8 inch/20cm round cake tin.
• Sift the flour salt and spices into a large mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together until the mixtures fluffy.
• Beat the eggs and add them a little at a time.
• Fold in the flour and spices.
• Stir in the fruit that has been soaking along with any excess liquid.
• Mix in the treacle.
• Spoon into the cake tin and spread out evenly.
• Cover the cake with a double square of greaseproof paper with a small hole in the top.
• Bake the cake on the lower shelf for 4& 1/4- 3/4 hours.
• When the cake is cold wrap in double greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin.
• Feed the cake every two days for the first 2 weeks with a spoonful of brandy and/or orange juice and/or glacè cherry syrup.
• First poke little holes in the cake with a knitting needle or a skewer.
• Come Christmas you will have a very very rich fruit cake.
• Use royal icing to ice it or almond paste and royal icing, I don't like almond paste!