Grandmas Fruitcake Food

GRANDMA BETTIE'S LIGHT FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line two loaf pans with parchment paper.
• Coat cherries, raisins, almonds, and pineapple with 1 cup flour.
• Beat sugar, butter, and eggs together until creamy. Sift remaining flour with baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture; stir in vanilla and almond extracts. Fold in the fruit and almond mixture. Spoon batter into the prepared pans and spread evenly.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Wrap cakes tightly and let age in a cool place for 2 to 4 weeks.

MY GRANDMA'S FRUITCAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease several baking sheets. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, and baking soda in a bowl; set aside.
• Beat together the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternating each addition with about 2 tablespoons of milk until all the milk is incorporated and the dough is soft. Beat in the sherry, and mix in the nuts, raisins, dates, pineapple, and cherries until thoroughly mixed. Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are set and the bottoms are very lightly browned, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

GRANMAMA'S UNCOOKED (NO BAKE, NO COOK) FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs.
• Granmama's recipe calls for "puffed" raisins. To puff them, soak in hot water for 30 minutes.
• Chop the nuts; drain and cut cherries in half (if they are whole).
• Melt marshmallows in milk.
• Mix all ingredients together.
• Pack into regular sized loaf pan.
• Refrigerated overnight and cut with a hot knife.
• Coconut is an optional ingredient.
• Cook time is refrigeration time.

GRANDMA'S BOILED FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Day one.
• Mix the first 11 ingredients into a large heavy based pot, place over a medium heat. Stir and bring to the boil (don't leave it alone in case it burns at the base).
• Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, you can leave it alone for this part.
• Turn the heat off and add the orange juice, stir until well combined and leave overnight to soak. Place a lid over the top to stop moisture evaporating through the night.
• Day 2.
• In the cold pot with the pre-soaked fruit mixture add the remaining ingredients and stir well, be warned - you will need some serious elbow grease as the mixture will be very thick!
• In either 2 large and deep loaf tins or a deep 20x20cm grease and line the sides and base 4 times with brown paper (I use brown paper bags that I have sliced open). Have the paper create a rim that goes up and above the tin. For a square tin you will need around 8 paper bags.
• Place the cake mix into the prepared tin/s. Bang the cake tin on the floor about 10 times to get all the air bubbles out.
• Using a wet hand, smooth the cake to make it flat. At this stage you can choose to decorate the top with blanched almonds or not.
• Place into a cold oven, turn the oven up to 250 degrees F/150 degrees C for 3 1/2 - 4 hours for 1 large cake or 2 1/2 - 3 hours for 2 loaves. Rotate the cakes at least once during cooking - even it you have a fan forced oven. Cake is cooked when a skewer comes out clean.
• Cool in the tin, cake is best eaten the day after baking.
• Store in an airtight container for upto 5-7 days depending on your humidity.

GRANDMA R'S FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Pecans chopped roughly, almonds slivered and soak overnight in orange juice.
• Pineapple to be cut in tidbit size, cherries cut in quarters, citron peel cut fine, be sure to wash raisins, soak overnight in grape juice and rum.
• Set aside one cup of flour from recipe to sprinkle over the fruit before adding to batter.
• Cream butter at room temperature like whipped cream.
• Add sugar gradually until no sugar grains remain (about 15 minutes).
• Beat in egg yolks throughly.
• Stir in jelly and melted chocolate.
• Blend in flour and baking powder.
• Add fruit with hands small amounts at a time mixing well.
• Add almonds and pecans (juice as well if still leftover).
• Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.
• Line pans with thin cardboard bottom and sides.
• Line pans with tin foil over the cardboard.
• Fill pans 3/4 full with batter (5-6 loaf pans).
• Bake at 275°F for 2 1/2 hours.
• If you use mini-pans you will have to watch the baking.
• You will know they are done when the tops are slightly dark.
• Possible cracking of the loaf--little bit springy, but not too springy.
• Cool on racks before removing.
• Peel off tin foil gently wrap in Saran Wrap (or cheesecloth if you are planning to soak in rum afterwards).
• Then wrap in tin foil store in a cool place tin container.

GRANDMA'S PRIZED BLUE RIBBON FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Chop all the dried fruit and nuts. Place in a bowl and set aside.
• Cream the butter, sugar and honey.
• Mix the rum, orange juice and eggsin a bowl.
• Add the wet ingredients alternatley with the sifted dried ingredients. Stiring well after each addition.
• Add the fruit and nuts. Stir well to combine.
• Pour into two 9 inch round cake tins or one large 30xm square tin, greased and well lined up to the rim(s).
• Bake at 130oC for 4 hours, turning once.
• Cool in tin.

GRANDMAS NO CHOP NO BAKE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Crush graham crackers and mix with raisins and cherries.
• Add brazil nuts.
• Scald milk in double boiler and add in marshmallows.
• Stir until melted.
• Remove from heat.
• Add cracker mixture to hot marshmallow mixture and blend thoroughly.
• Line loaf pans with wax paper or foil.
• Spoon in mixture, press down firmly.
• Decorate top with reserved cherries and brazil nuts.
• Age 1 month in fridge.
• Wrap cake in foil to keep moist.
• This freezes very well after the initial aging of cake.
• If you're lucky, like I am, you can find shelled brazil nuts at a health food store. I find mine at an amish grocery store.

GRANDMA LEACH'S FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch tube pan and one 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves into a large bowl. Stir in the applesauce and oil, then mix in the raisins, dates, mixed fruit and 2 cups of walnuts. Pour into the prepared pans. Pans should be about 3/4 full if using mini pans, or an assortment.
• Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the crown of the cake comes out clean.

GRANDMA LEONE'S FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 8x8-inch baking pans.
• Bring water and raisins to a boil in a saucepan; cook until raisins are plump, about 2 minutes. Drain and cool raisins; reserve raisin water.
• Mix 3 cups flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Place pecans and 2 tablespoons flour in a resealable plastic bag; close and shake bag until pecans are coated. Pour pecans into a colander and shake off excess flour.
• Whisk sugar, oil, eggs, and cooled raisin water together in a bowl; fold in candied fruit. Stir flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, into sugar mixture until fully incorporated; fold in raisins and pecans. Fill the prepared pans a little over half full.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Lower temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C); bake until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 more hour.