Free Range Fruitcake Food

FREE RANGE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Combine the dried fruits, both zests, and the candied ginger in a plastic storage container. Add the rum, cover, and macerate overnight at room temperature.
• The next day, load up a coffee/spice grinder or spice mill with the cloves, allspice, and cinnamon and grind to a fine powder.
• Add the spices, along with the macerated fruit and its liquid to a large saucepan. Add the sugar, butter, apple juice, and ginger. Bring to a boil, stirring often, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool for at least 15 minutes. (At this point, you can either complete the batter or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days, which is what I usually do.)
• Place oven racks in the center and bottom of the oven. Place a roasting pan on the bottom rack and fill halfway with warm water. Crank the oven to 325ºF.
• Put the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a sifter and sift onto the cooled fruit mixture in the saucepan, bringing the batter together as quickly as possible with a large wooden spoon. One at a time, stir in the eggs. Finally, fold in the pecans.
• Spoon the resulting goo into a 10-inch nonstick loaf pan and bake until the interior temperature hits 200°F, about 1 hour.
• Remove to a wire rack or trivet. Spritz the top with brandy and cool completely. Wrap the cake in a few layers of cheesecloth, spritz with more brandy, and stash in a tin or any other airtight, food-safe containment vessel.
• Every 2 to 3 days, feel the cake and, if dry, spritz with more brandy. The cake's flavor and texture will enhance considerably over the next 2 weeks. If you decide to give the cake as a gift, be sure to tell the recipient that they are very lucky indeed.

FREE RANGE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Combine dried fruits, candied ginger and both zests.
• Add rum and macerate overnight, or microwave for 5 minutes to rehydrate fruit.
• Place fruit and liquid in a non-reactive pot with the sugar, butter, apple juice and spices.
• Bring the mixture to a boil stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and cool for at least 15 minutes.
• (Batter can be completed up to this point, then covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before completing cake.).
• Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Combine dry ingredients and sift into fruit mixture.
• Quickly bring batter together with a large wooden spoon, then stir in eggs one at a time until completely integated, then fold in nuts.
• Spoon into a 10-inch non-stick loaf pan and bake for 1 hour; check for doneness by inserting toothpick into the middle of the cake.
• If it comes out clean, it's done.
• If not, bake another 10 minutes, and check again.
• Remove cake from oven and place on cooling rack or trivet.
• Baste or spritz top with brandy and allow to cool completely before turning out from pan.
• When cake is cooled completely, seal in a tight sealing, food safe container.
• Every 2 to 3 days, feel the cake and if dry, spritz with brandy.
• The cake's flavor will enhance considerably over the next two weeks.

COFFEE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250°F.
• Brush 2 9x5x3 loaf pans lightly with oil, then line bottom and sides with foil, pressing corners to help adhere.
• Sift together flour, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg into a large bowl.
• Toss currants and raisins with 2 tablespoons flour mixture in a bowl.
• Stir together coffee and baking soda in a small bowl until dissolved.
• Beat together the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add eggs, 2 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in molasses.
• Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and coffee mixture alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just smooth.
• Fold in dried fruit mixture.
• Divide batter between loaf pans and smooth tops by gently rapping bottom of each pan against counter.
• Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of each cake comes out clean, 2 3/4 to 3 1/4 hours (cakes may sink slightly in center).
• Cool pans on racks 10 minutes, then loosen foil from sides of pans with knife and turn out cakes onto racks.
• Peel off foil and cool cakes completely, about 3 hours.