Mamma Maculans Winter Fruitcake Food

WINTER FRUIT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets., Bake until light brown, 8-10 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container. Freeze option: Freeze cookies, layered between waxed paper, in freezer containers. Thaw before serving.

MAMMA'S ICEBOX FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Mix graham cracker crumbs and milk until well blended.
• Add remaining ingredients until well blened.
• Mixture will be very stiff.
• Pack into a Christmas mold, which has been sprayed with oil, or form into logs and wrap with wax paper.
• Cover and keep refrigerated.
• Remove from mold just before serving.

MAMMA MACULAN'S WINTER FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9" cake pan and coat the bottom and sides with a thin layer of bread crumbs. Place the pears, apples, butter, and sugar in a 1-quart pot; cook over medium heat, covered, until the fruit breaks down into a puree, about 20 minutes, stirring often and removing the lid if the mixture becomes too liquid; cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, soak the raisins in the Torcolato. Heat the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla extract, and cinnamon; put the breadcrumbs in a bowl and pour the hot milk over them; set aside for 30 minutes to let the bread crumbs absorb the milk. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the fruit puree, lemon zest and salt using a wire whisk. Using a wooden spoon, fold in the bread crumbs and raisins, including the Torcolato used to soak the raisins. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
• Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean; cool on a rack and unmold. Dust the cake with the sifted confectioner's sugar and garnish with the grapes. Serve with glasses of the same dessert wine used in the cake.

FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Sample the wine to check for quality.
• Take a large bowl.
• Check the wine again to make sure it's of the highest quality.
• Pour 1 level cup and drink.
• Repeat if your're not sure.
• Turn on the electric mixer and beat butter in a large fluffy bowl.
• Add sugar and beat again.
• Make sure wine is still okay. Cry another cup.
• Turn off the mixer.
• Break two legs and add the bowl along with the vanilla extract and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
• Mix on the turner.
• If the fruit gets stuck in the beaterers, pry it loose with a screwdriver.
• Sample the wine again to check for tonsisticity.
• Next, Sift 2 cups of salt or something. Who cares.
• Check the wine.
• Now sift the lemon juice and strain the nuts.
• Add 1 table. Spoon. Of sugar or flour or something. Whatever you can find.
• Grease the oven.
• Turn the cake pan to 350 degrees.
• Throw one bowl outside the window.
• Check the wine again.
• Go to bed.
• Who the heck likes fruitcake anyway?

NADIA'S MORNING COFFEE CAKE WITH WINTER FRUITS

Steps:

• Turn on the oven to 375°.
• Choose a mixing bowl that can subsequently contain all the ingredients. Put in the eggs and sugar and beat them until they are foamy and form yellow ribbons.
• Add the salt, olive oil, and grated orange peel - making sure you haven't grated any of the bitter white pith beneath the orange skin - and mix thoroughly.
• Peel all the fruit. Core the pear and apple and cut them into thin 1/2-inch pieces. Slice the banana very thin. Put the fruit into a separate bowl and toss with the lemon juice.
• Combine the flour and baking powder and mix them into the beaten eggs, incorporating them thoroughly.
• Add the fruit to the bowl with the eggs and flour, mixing well to distribute it evenly.
• Smear the bottom and sides of the springform pan with butter, then pour into it the fruit batter. Level off by shaking the pan from side to side; do not press down on the batter.
• Bake on the middle level of the preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, until the top of the cake becomes colored a light gold.

CHRISTMAS WHITE FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Stir some flour into fruit mixture so it doesn't stick together. I use a little (like a tablespoon from the 2 1/4 cups for the cake).
• Cream the butter, sugar and eggs.
• Mix together the dry ingredients and add to the creamed ingredients.
• Stir in the fruit and nuts (I usually omit the nuts) and add more fruit to make up the volume.
• Bake in a 300oF oven for an hour, but check the cake for doneness with a wooden tooth pick to make sure it is cooked.
• My mother's only directions are: bake at 300oF for a little longer than an hour and mix together like a cake.

CLASSIC WINTER FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Lightly beat the egg white in a shallow bowl and spread out the caster sugar on a baking sheet or tray. Dip the grapes and the holly or bay leaves into the egg white, or use a paintbrush. Shake off the excess, then coat in the sugar. Set aside to dry for at least 10 mins, ideally about 30 mins.
• When you're ready to decorate, make the frosting. Put a large bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Put the egg whites and icing sugar into the bowl and whisk for 5-7 mins until you have a thick, very glossy frosting. Use a spatula to clean around the edges of the bowl every so often as you whisk. Scoop the frosting onto the top of the cake and spread it around with a flat-edged knife, swirling as you go to create a snowy effect (see Knowhow, below).
• Halve the clementines, figs and kumquats, then arrange on top of the frosted cake with the physalis, frosted grapes and leaves. Fix a ribbon around the base and leave the cake somewhere cool - but not the fridge - until your guests arrive.

NOT YOUR MAMA'S FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Drain cherries, reserving 3 tablespoons juice. Cut in half. Drain prunes, reserving 6 tablespoons syrup. Pit prunes.
• Cream sugar, shortening and eggs or egg substitute at medium speed of a mixer for two minutes. Stir in cherries, reserved cherry and prune juice, prunes, walnuts, whiskey, pineapple and raisins. Combine flour and dry ingredients, add to creamed mixture and stir well.
• Spoon batter into a 10 inch tube or bundt pan coated with cooking oil spray. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick or wooden skewer comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack, remove from pan and let cool completely. Store in tightly wrapped plastic wrap. Slice and enjoy.

MARY'S WINTER FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Mix fruit cocktail, flour, sugar, eggs, salt and baking soda. Pour into a greased 9x13" pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees.
• While the cake is cooking make the icing. Boil for 2 minutes the sugar, margarine and milk. Remove from heat and add the coconut and vanilla.
• Frost the cake while it is hot.