Fruitcake Bites Food

FRUITCAKE BITES

Steps:

• Grease twenty-four 1 3/4" by 1" mini muffin-pan cups. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In large bowl, with wooden spoon, beat shortening, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until well combined. Add flour, milk, vanilla extract, and eggs; mix well. Stir in pecans, prunes, red candied cherries, green candied cherries, and candied orange peel.
• Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon batter into each muffin-pan cup (reserve remaining batter for making more fruitcake bites). If you like, garnish with additional red and green candied cherries.
• Bake fruitcake bites 15 to 20 minutes until golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool fruitcake bites in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks. Wash and dry muffin-pan cups.
• Repeat steps 3 and 4 with remaining batter until all batter has been used, garnishing with candied cherries.
• Store fruitcake bites in tightly covered container in refrigerator.
• Each fruitcake bite without garnish: About 120 calories, 2 g protein, 17 g carbohydrate, 5 g total fat (1 g saturated), 18 mg cholesterol, 40 mg sodium Photograph by Steven Mark Needham

BITE-SIZE FRUITCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Combine flour and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Stir in the dates, nuts, pineapple, cherries and raisins. , Fill paper-lined miniature muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 300° for 40-50 minutes or until lightly browned and set. , For glaze, combine the egg, milk and water. Brush over fruitcakes. Bake 10 minutes longer. Decorate with candied cherries if desired. Cool on wire racks.

LITTLE FRUITCAKE BITES

Steps:

• Pour the rum over the raisins, cover with plastic wrap and marinate them for several hours or overnight Heat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time beat after each addition.
• In another bowl mix your dry ingredients (Flour, Baking soda, and spices).
• Stir the dry mixture into the butter& sugar.
• Stir in raisins/rum and milk.
• Stir in the fruit& nuts.
• Line miniature muffin tins with fancy Christmas paper liners or plain ones.
• Fill 3/4 full with the batter.
• Bake 10-15 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly touched.

THE BEST FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Combine the raisins, currants, apricots, figs, prunes, dates, walnuts, pecans, orange zest, lemon zest, candied ginger, pumpkin pie spice and cloves in a large bowl and toss to combine. Add 1 cup of the brandy, orange liqueur and molasses and stir to coat. Cover and set aside to macerate overnight. (Alternatively, cover the bowl and microwave 2 minutes, or until very hot. Leave covered and let sit until almost all the liquid has been absorbed into the fruit and nuts, about 2 hours.)
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Spray two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and line each with 2 pieces of parchment, one lengthwise and one crosswise, leaving a 2-inch overhang on each side. Spray the parchment with cooking spray.
• Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour over the soaked fruit mixture and toss to coat. Whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
• Cream the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to medium-low and beat in the flour mixture until the batter is blended and smooth. Pour the batter over the fruit mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until all the fruit is coated in batter.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the two prepared pans, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the pans, the tops spring back slightly when pressed and a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons brandy. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes. Carefully remove each cake from its pan using the parchment overhang and place on the rack to cool completely.
• To store, wrap each loaf tightly in plastic and then foil. The wrapped fruitcakes can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.

FRUITCAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda and cinnamon in a bowl. Cream the butter and sugar in a separate bowl, then gradually add the eggs. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, blending well. Mix the pecans, cherries, pineapple and raisins in a large bowl, then pour the batter over them. Fold the fruit and nuts into the batter by hand, mixing well. Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and done.