Fruitcake Cheese Loaf Food

FRUITCAKE LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Cut the cherries into quarters and mix together with the raisins and mixed fruit (or glacé citrus peel). Measure the cherries AFTER they are quartered. In the cake pictured, I have used a mixture of half red and half green glacé cherries for the most colourful appearance.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Lightly grease a 9x5 inch standard loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
• Measure the flour, then remove 2 tbsp to dust the fruit with later.
• Sift the remaining flour with the baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• Cream together butter, sugar and cream cheese, until smooth and fluffy,
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Next, beat in the vanilla extract (and almond extract if you are using it.)
• Fold in the dry ingredients until almost fully incorporated. A few streaks of flour in the batter should remain at this point.
• Toss the fruit mixture with the reserved 2 tbsp flour.
• Add the flour coated fruit to the batter and fold in well.
• Spread batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. My oven actually took closer to 1 1/2 hours.
• Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. If freezing, wrap tightly in several layers of plastic wrap before placing it in a large ziplock freezer bag, removing as much air from the bag as you can before sealing it.

RETRO PARTY SANDWICH LOAF

Steps:

• Trim the bread into a cylinder with a large serrated bread knife, flattening out the top and evening out the sides so that you are left with a tall cake-like shape. (For neat edges, use a 6-inch cake pan or a small plate on top of the loaf as a guide to cut around.) Cut the bread horizontally into 4 layers, using a sawing motion.
• Place the bottom bread layer on a serving plate or cake stand and cover with half of the mayonnaise. Layer on one container of the Black Forest ham. Place the second bread layer on top, cover with half of the mustard and top with the smoked turkey. Place the third bread layer on top, cover with the remaining mayonnaise and top with the remaining ham. Spread the cut side of the fourth bread layer with the remaining mustard and close the sandwich. Press down to adhere the layers together.
• Frost the loaf with the cream cheese using an offset spatula. Press the scallions along the bottom edge of the loaf. Sprinkle the chives on the outer top edge of the loaf. Sprinkle the spring mix greens in the center of the cake. Arrange the cherry tomatoes cut-side down at regular intervals around the top of the cake. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.

GRANDMA'S MOLASSES FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. Grease and flour three 9x5-in. loaf pans. Line bottoms with waxed paper; grease and flour the paper. Combine currants, raisins, walnuts, candied citron and 1/4 cup flour. Toss to coat; set aside., Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. In another bowl, whisk baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and remaining flour; add to creamed mixture alternately with coffee. Stir into currant mixture and mix well., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator for at least 2 days to blend flavors. Slice and bring to room temperature before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

CREAM CHEESE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• To make the fruit & nut mix, chop up an assortment of dried fruits and nuts of your choice. Typically, my mom uses raisins, pineapple, papaya, green & red glacé cherries, and pecans. Smaller dried fruits like raisins don't need to be cut, but dice up the other fruits and the nuts. Now measure out 3 cups worth of the mixture and mix it up with the remaining 1/2 cup of flour (this is done so that the fruits and nuts won't all sink to the bottom of your cake when baking).
• Preheat the oven to 325°F
• Cream the butter and sugar together. Mix in the cream cheese.
• Add the eggs in one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.
• In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients: 2 cups flour, the baking powder, and the salt.
• Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients; the batter will be quite thick.
• When barely any streaks remain, mix in the flour-covered fruit & nut mix. Only on few strokes of your spatula are needed; do not overmix.
• Spray a loaf pan (9x5 in) with nonstick spray and line the bottom of the pan with a rectangle of parchment paper.
• Scrape your batter into the loaf pan, smoothing the top.
• Place in the oven and let bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
• If near the end of baking, the inside of the cake is still wet but the top is browning too quickly, cover the top with a sheet of foil.
• Let your cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooking.

MEAT(LESS)LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Pulse the mushrooms and onions in a food processor until they are pea-sized pieces.
• Toss the mushroom/onion mixture in the olive oil in a roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes. Stir the mushroom mixture. Roast an additional 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, use the food processor to roughly chop the zucchini. Place it aside.
• Puree the chickpeas and add the paprika, cumin, salt, pepper and chile powder. Combine with the mushroom mixture, then add the zucchini and breadcrumbs. (The mixture should be damp but not wet; add more breadcrumbs if necessary to tighten it up.)
• Form the mixture into a loaf in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
• Top the mixture generously with the Spicy Ketchup and bake until the meatloaf is quite firm (with the texture of meatloaf), about 40 minutes.
• Let rest 10 minutes before slicing or chill it if using later.
• Serve with your favorite sides. We recommend good, old-fashioned mashed potatoes or cheesy grits and sautéed seasonal vegetables.
• Whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, hot sauce, black pepper and habanero in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate or use immediately.

MOM'S FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250-275 degrees.
• Batter will make about 15 lbs. Prepare pans according to chart below. Grease and line pans with brown paper, waxed paper, or parchment. Grease again. Cut paper about 1 inch taller than pans. Fill pans a little over half full with batter. If you have room in the oven, put a pan with some hot water in it in the bottom, to keep the cakes moist. Enjoy!
• Pan sizes and baking chart:
• 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan: 6 1/2 cups batter, bake for 3 hours
• 10" tube pan: 2 1/2 quarts batter, bake for 3 hrs 15 mins
• 1 lb. coffee cans: 3 3/4 cups batter, bake for 3 hrs 15 mins
• 9 1/4 oz. tuna cans: 1 cup batter, bake for 1 hour 30 mins
• No.303 (16oz) cans: 1 2/3 cup batter, bake for 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours
• 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 2-inch mini loaf pans: 3/4 cup batter, bake for 1 hour

FRUIT SALAD CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, cook pineapple and sugar over medium heat for 5 minutes or until heated through. Place cold water in a bowl; sprinkle with gelatin. Let stand for 1 minute. Stir into the warm pineapple mixture. Reduce heat to low; add cream cheese. Cook and stir until cream cheese is melted and mixture is blended. Remove from the heat; cool completely., In a small bowl, combine macaroon crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan; set aside. Stir the grapes, oranges, cherries and nuts into cream cheese mixture. Fold in the whipped topping. Pour into prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan before serving.