Candied Fruit Cheesecake Food

SUNNY CITRUS CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Wrap foil securely around pan. Place on a baking sheet., In a small bowl, mix flour, sugar and zest; cut in butter until crumbly. Press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake until edges are lightly browned, 25-30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in flour and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Divide batter into thirds. To 1 portion, add lime juice, lime zest and green food coloring. Pour batter over crust., Place springform pan in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake until center is just set and top appears dull, about 25 minutes., Meanwhile, to another portion of batter, add lemon juice, lemon zest and 3 drops yellow food coloring. Carefully remove pan from oven. Gently spoon over lime layer. Return to oven; bake until center is just set and top appears dull, about 25 minutes., To remaining batter, add orange juice, orange zest, red food coloring and remaining 3 drops yellow food coloring. Carefully remove pan from oven. Gently spoon over lemon layer., Return to oven; bake until center is just set and top appears dull, 30-35 minutes. Carefully remove pan from oven., In a small bowl, whisk topping ingredients. Gently spoon over cheesecake in small dollops; spread carefully. Return to oven; bake 5 minutes., Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove foil. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled. Remove rim from pan. If desired, top with orange, lime and lemon slices. Refrigerate leftovers.

CANDIED FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Combine dates and candied fruit in a small bowl; pour coffee and brandy over them, and stir to combine. Cover and macerate 6 hours or overnight.
• Place oven rack in lowest position and large roasting pan on rack. Fill pan halfway with hot water. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch tube pan. Stir flour, mace, cinnamon, cloves, salt, baking powder and soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
• In mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 40 seconds. Scrape down bowl, add brown sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Mix in vanilla. Add eggs, beating well after each addition.
• With machine on low speed, add dry ingredients, and mix just to combine. Mix in dates, fruit and macerating liquid. Turn batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Bake in water bath until cake has risen and top is brown, about an hour. Remove cake from oven, cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes, turn out of pan right-side up onto rack and cool completely.
• Heat sugar with 1 tablespoon water to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer until syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Arrange slices of candied fruit on top of cake, and brush with syrup.

CANDIED FRUIT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• If candied fruits are not already cut into small pieces, use knife to cut them into pieces about 1/4 inch in diameter. Put pieces of mixed fruit into small bowl and add Bourbon. Stir to blend. Set aside.
• Cheesecake batter may be made in bowl of food processor or electric mixer. If processor is used, it must have 12-cup capacity; otherwise it should be done in two steps using half the ingredients at a time. Place cream cheese, heavy cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla into container or bowl of food processor or mixer. Blend thoroughly.
• Add candied fruits with their liquid. If processor is being used, pulse mixture briefly. Do this only enough to blend fruit pieces without grinding them. Or blend them in electric mixer.
• Generously butter bottom and sides of cake pan measuring 8 inches wide and 3 inches deep. Do not use spring-form pan.
• Sprinkle pan inside with graham cracker crumbs and shake to coat bottom and sides. Shake out excess.
• Pour and scrape batter into prepared pan. Set pan inside a larger pan and pour boiling water around cake pan to depth of about 1 inch. Do not let edge of cheesecake pan touch sides of larger pan. Place pans thus arranged in oven and bake 2 hours. Turn off oven heat and let cake remain in oven one hour longer.
• Remove cake from water bath and place on a rack. Let stand two hours.
• Place a round cake plate over cake and carefully turn both upside down to unmold the cake. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature.

CANDIED HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 250°F. Grease and flour 12-cup bundt pan or tube cake pan. In large bowl, mix pecans and fruits with 3 tablespoon flour. In another large bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Stir in vanilla and lemon extract. Sift 1 3/4 cups flour with baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to batter; stir until blended. Mix fruit mixture into batter.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 2 1/2 hours. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool. (Can be prepared 2 weeks ahead; wrap in foil and store at room temperature.) Dust with powdered sugar.

CANDIED FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and flour 4 mini loaf pans or round casserole. In medium bowl, beat egg with sugar until fluffy. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt and blend. Add dates, cherries, and pineapple. Wet your hands and pack into pans. Bake at 300F for 35-40 minutes. Top should be dry, but not brown. Melt jelly, add bourbon and while cakes are still warm, spread mixture over cakes, Wrap tightly. Keep in refrigerator or freezer. Best if you can make this a week or two before serving. Family favorite for many years.

HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. Combine fruit and nuts. In another bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Pour over fruit and nuts; stir to coat. , Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 2 hours. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in a cool place. Bring to room temperature before serving; slice with a serrated knife.