Holiday Bourbon Fruitcake Food

HOLIDAY BOURBON FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• On the first day, combine the candied orange peel, candied citron, candied pineapple, red and green candied cherries, currants, raisins, walnuts, and almonds. Combine the orange juice and the 2/3 cup bourbon; pour over the fruit and nuts. Stir and then cover tightly. Let the fruit marinate in a cool place for 1 full day, or at least 20 hours.
• On the second day, line two 9x5 inch loaf pans with parchment paper or aluminum foil and grease the inside with cooking spray. Combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ginger, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and stir with a whisk to blend.
• In a separate large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. Stir in the egg yolks until blended and then mix in the applesauce, the 1/2 cup bourbon, and vanilla until fluffy. Continue stirring, and add the the flour mixture gradually until well combined. Add the molasses and stir to combine. When the batter is thoroughly mixed, gently mix in the fruit and nut mixture with all of its juices.
• In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until they can hold a stiff peak. Fold egg whites into the batter. Divide evenly between the prepared pans. Cover loosely with a towel and let the batter stand overnight in a cool, dry place.
• On the third day, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Place a large baking pan on the bottom shelf and pour boiling water into it until almost full. Place a baking sheet on the center shelf and place the fruit cakes on the baking sheet.
• Bake for 2 1/2 hours in the preheated oven. Check the water level and refill if needed. Cover the cakes with a sheet of parchment paper, taking care not to let it touch the shelf. Continue to bake until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour more. Cool fruitcakes in the pans, set over a wire rack. Once cool, remove the cakes from the pans, and leave the parchment paper on. Sprinkle with more bourbon if desired and wrap in aluminum foil. Place in a tin or other sealed container overnight before serving.

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.

BOURBON FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the candied fruits, raisins, currants, and bourbon. Mix well, cover and marinate 3 hours on the counter.
• Cream together the butter, and brown sugar until fluffy in a KitchenAid mixer.
• Beat in the eggs, on at a time.
• Add the melted chocolate, walnuts, and the marinated fruit along with the bourbon.
• Blend for a minute and add the flour, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Mix well until all is incorporated. Pack the heavy batter into a greased 10 X 4 tube pan.
• Bake in a preheated 300 deg. oven for 2 hours and 10 minutes. Remove to a rack.
• When the cake is cool enough to handle. Remove from the pan and cool on the rack.
• Place the cooled cake in a stainless steel pot iwth a lid and drizzle half of the brandy over it. Cover and allow to rest on the counter for 1 week. After 1 week, drizzle with the remaining brandy, cover and allow to rest another week.
• Slice and serve. This cake will keep for months in the refrigerator.

BOURBON FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Relative amounts of dried and candied fruit can be varied, but the total amount of fruit should be about 5 cups.
• Additional fruit and nuts can be added if you like lots in your fruitcake.
• Chop fruit as necessary.
• Halve the green and red candied cherries, and very coarsely chop apricots and dried pineapple.
• Very coarsely chop pecans.
• Place fruit and nuts in a large bowl, and toss well with the 1/2 cup all-purpose flour.
• Cream softened butter and sugar, using an electric mixer, until well combined.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, and set aside.
• Sift all dry ingredients, and stir until well combined.
• Stir 1/3 cup bourbon into milk in measuring cup.
• Using an electric mixer, alternately, add flour mixture and milk mixture to the creamed butter, starting and ending with flour, mixing to combine well after each addition.
• When thoroughly combined, toss flour coated fruit and nuts again, and fold into batter using a large wooden spoon or spatula.
• Place rack in middle of oven with second rack below, place a cookie sheet on the lower rack to shield loaf pans from heat.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease 5-6 mini-loaf pans (3"x5½”x2") loaf pans or a 10" tube pan (preferably with a removable bottom), and line with greased wax paper.
• If using mini-loaf pans just press 5 or 5½” wide pieces crosswise in pans; don’t worry about the pan ends.
• Fill pans just to the top or a little below with batter, dividing evenly.
• Fruitcakes will rise just a little above the top a little during baking, but they won’t overflow.
• If using mini-loaf pans, bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each loaf comes out clean, If using a tube pan, bake for about 1-1/2 hours or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Pans should be shuffled about and turned after half of baking time has passed to ensure that fruitcake (s) bake evenly.
• When done, remove fruitcakes from oven, and set on cooling racks to cool for 10 minutes.
• Turn fruitcakes out of pans, peel off wax paper, and set on cooling racks for another 10 minutes.
• Brush loaves generously with dry sherry, and return to racks to cool completely.
• Allow to set overnight, covered, for sherry to soak in to loaves.
• Cut cheesecloth into pieces large enough wrap each loaf in a double or triple layer, and soak cheesecloth pieces in 1/2 cup bourbon.
• Wrap loaves in the cheesecloth, and sprinkle any remaining bourbon on top.
• Wrap in foil, and set in a cool place to age for 1 week.
• Carefully peel back foil, and brush or spray each loaf with remaining 1/2 cup bourbon.
• Replace foil, and allow loaves to age 1 more week before eating or giving as gifts.
• This brushing and aging process can be repeated several more times if desired, assuming that you started well before Christmas.
• This recipe can easily be doubled if your oven is large enough to handle all the pans.