Mini Fruitcake Food

MINIATURE CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine molasses and water; add raisins. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in candied fruit and vanilla. Cool., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 eggs at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking soda and spices; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Add fruit mixture, mixing well. Fold in nuts., Fill paper-lined miniature muffin cups almost full. Bake at 325° for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight containers.

MINI FRUITCAKES

Steps:

• Arrange oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 mini-muffin pans with muffin cup liners or coat with cooking spray.
• Pour hot coffee over chopped dates in a small bowl. Toss cherries and raisins with the Bourbon, rum or brandy in another small bowl. Set both aside to soften, 10 to 20 minutes.
• Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.
• Puree dates and coffee in a food processor or blender until they form a smooth paste. Scrape out into a large bowl. Add egg, oil, molasses, vanilla and orange zest and stir until combined. Add flour mixture to the date mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips, ½ cup chopped pecans, crystallized ginger and the cherry mixture. Stir until the goodies are thoroughly incorporated into the batter.
• Drop batter by rounded tablespoons into the muffin cups. Sprinkle each with turbinado sugar and place a pecan half on top. Bake, rotating pans half way, until the cakes are puffed and set-up 14 to17 minutes. Let cool 3 to 5 minutes in pans before removing to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter.

MINIATURE FRUITCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Combine egg yolks and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Fill greased and floured muffin cups two-thirds full. Cover muffin tin tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. , Bake at 275° for 1 hour. Uncover; top with cherries. Bake 5 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of each cup; remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

MINIATURE GOLDEN FRUITCAKES

Steps:

• In a large nonreactive bowl, combine dried fruit, walnuts, and 1 1/4 cups brandy. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 8 hours (or up to 1 day), stirring occasionally.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs in 2 additions, scraping down bowl in between. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and spices. Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture in 2 additions, scraping down bowl in between. Fold fruit mixture into batter.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two minimuffin pans with paper liners. Fill each liner with 1 rounded tablespoon batter. Firmly tap pans on counter to settle batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean and edges are light golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pans halfway through.
• Brush cakes with 1/2 cup brandy; transfer cakes to a wire rack to cool completely. (To store, cover and refrigerate, up to 1 month.) Brush with apricot jam before serving or packing.

MINI FRUITCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat over to 350°. In a small saucepan, heat sherry, sugar and margarine until sugar is dissolved. Cool. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. In another bowl, beat egg and vanilla; stir into cooled sherry mixture until thoroughly combined. Add sherry mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened., In a large bowl, toss fruits and nuts to combine. Stir in batter. Fill 30 greased mini muffin cups with 1 tablespoon of mixture. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Cool in pan 3-4 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

FRUITCAKE MUFFINS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper holders.
• 2. In a bowl whisk, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Add flour just until blended, then add orange juice and mix well. Add candied fruit, dried cherries and pecans and mix until evenly distributed. Pour batter into muffin cups.
• 3. Bake for 25 minutes, or until tops are golden and cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan 30 minutes.
• 4. Enjoy.

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.

MINI FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Place cupcake liners in muffin pans.
• In a large bowl mix all ingredients together, except candied cherries.
• Mix thoroughly.
• Using a spoon fill each liner 2/3 full with batter.
• Top with a cherry half.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.

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

MINI HONEY FRUITCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in honey and jam, and then eggs. Add flour mixture, and beat, alternating with ricotta. Beat in nuts and dried fruit.
• Press a square of parchment into each cup of a standard muffin tin to create a liner (you can also use baking cups). Divide batter evenly among liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer tin to a wire rack. Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the honey glaze: Bring honey to a boil in a saucepan, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and salt.
• Brush fruitcakes with glaze, and garnish with dried fruit. Brush again with glaze. Remove from pans. Let cool. Serve fruitcakes with Mixed Citrus Sauce.

CINNAMON MINI FRUIT CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to gas mark 6 (200 degrees Celcius) and line a cake tin with cupcake cases.
• Cream the margarine and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until soft and fluffy. This should not take long if you are using soft margarine.
• Sieve in the flour and add in the eggs. Mix the ingredients together until everything is well combined and smooth.
• At this point you can add the cinnamon. Add the desired amount of cinnamon one teaspoon at a time, mixing until you are satisfied with the colour of the mixture. About 1-2 teaspoons gives you the result in the photo.
• Add in the raisins or dried fruit and briefly mix to incorporate.
• Using two tablespoons, spoon one tablespoon of the mixture into each cupcake case. Divide the mixture equally between all cases, scraping clean each spoon.
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. These cakes taste light and fluffy hot and denser when cool.

WONDERFUL MINI FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Set oven to 325 degrees.
• Grease five 5" x 3" mini loaf pans.
• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup flour, candied fruit, dates, raisins and nuts; toss until well coated, set aside.
• In another bowl, combine the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and the remaining 2-3/4 cups flour; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with orange juice.
• Stir in fruit and nut mixture, mix well.
• Spoon into prepared mini loaf pans (pans will be full).
• Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
• Remove from oven; cover with foil; bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until the cakes test done with a toothpick.
• Let stand 10 minutes before removing from the pans to wire racks.
• In a bowl, combine the glaze ingredients.
• With pastry brush, brush glaze over the warm loaves.
• Cool completely.

MINI CHRISTMAS CAKES

Steps:

• Combine currants, raisins, sultana raisins, and candied cherries in a plastic container with a lid. Pour brandy over dried fruit; stir in orange and lemon zest. Close container and set aside to soak for 2 to 3 days. Stir or shake container every few hours as you remember.
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with 24 cupcake cases or lightly grease 24 ramekins.
• Combine 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Add eggs and molasses and beat well. Stir in all-purpose flour, self-rising flour, almonds, and mixed spice until well combined. Fold in almonds and soaked fruit; mix well. Spoon mixture into the prepared cases or ramekins.
• Bake in the preheated oven on the center rack until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cake comes out clean, about 90 minutes. Allow to cool in their cases.
• Store in airtight tins or wrap them tightly in greaseproof paper and aluminum foil for at least 10 days before decorating.
• Heat jam in the microwave for 10 seconds until warmed and brush onto each cake.
• Roll out marzipan between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Cut out circles with a round cookie cutter or a glass with the same diameter as the cakes. Arrange marzipan circles on top of the jam on each mini fruitcake. Store fruitcakes in an airtight container before finishing the final decoration, 8 hours to overnight.
• Roll out white fondant between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and cut out circles with the same diameter as the cakes. Press a cookie stencil with a snowflake pattern onto the fondant circles. Color in the snowflake pattern with blue food coloring using a small brush and place on top of the marzipan layer. Repeat with remaining cakes.

RICH FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• The night before, pour 75ml of the brandy over the fruit, cover and leave to sit, letting the fruit soak up the alcohol.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line a deep, 25cm square cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, then wrap a double layer of newspaper around the outside, so that it comes about 2.5cm above the sides of the tin, and secure with string.
• Sift the flour, spices, cocoa powder and ½ tsp salt together. Mix a third of this mixture into the soaked fruit. Cream the butter, zests and sugar until light and fluffy, stir in the treacle, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in half the remaining flour mixture. Once mixed, fold in the fruit mixture followed by the remaining flour mixture.
• Spoon into the prepared tin, smoothing the top with a palette knife. Bake in the centre of the oven for 2 hrs 30 mins, checking the cake with 15 mins to go. When a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, it's ready.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 30 mins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. To store, peel off the baking parchment, poke holes into the cake and feed with the remaining brandy. Wrap well in cling film. Will keep for three months.

MINI CHRISTMAS CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.
• Pop the coconut oil and chestnuts in a food processor and blitz for 1-2 minutes. Add the dates and blitz again, then add the melted chocolate, ground almonds, cacao, baking powder, almond and vanilla extract, salt and coconut sugar and pulse again until everything is well combined; the batter will be very thick. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the dried fruit.
• Divide the batter into two 20cm (8in) loose bottomed tins, then wet your hands and press the mix into the sides.
• Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the edges are getting a little brown. Allow to cool.
• To make the cranberry jam, add the cranberries, maple syrup and chia to a small saucepan. Heat gently until the cranberries have reduced down and the mix is sticky. Allow to cool.
• To make the chocolate topping, put the chocolate into a small bowl. Gently heat the almond milk until it reaches boiling point, then pour over the chocolate and stir until completely smooth. Stir in the maple syrup.
• Cut discs out of the cooled cake with a 5cm (2in) round cake cutter.
• Spoon chia jam onto the top of one disc, then pop another on top.
• Pour the melted chocolate over the top of each of the cakes, gently smoothing out the chocolate to drip over the edge. Alternatively, roll and cut some marzipan into shape and pop on top of the cakes.

MINI FRUITCAKE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• 1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Pour liqueur over fruit, cover and marinate overnight.
• 2. Add pecans and dates to fruit mixture, stir well. Combine eggs and sugar, stir in flour.
• 3. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into well-greased 1 3/4 inch muffin pans. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.

GLUTEN FREE MINI FRUITCAKE WITH LEMON & CINNAMON ICING

Steps:

• This is best done the night before. Combine all the dried fruit, orange juice and brandy (if using) in a bowl, cover and leave to soak overnight
• Preheat oven to 170°C (fan forced 150°C) 330°F/ 300°F. Lightly grease 2 six-cup friand pans
• Melt Copha in microwave or saucepan until fully melted. Whisk together melted Copha and brown sugar, add sour cream and whisk in eggs one at a time
• Sift together plain flour, self-raising flour, cinnamon, mixed spice and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Fold through the Copha mix. Add the soaked fruit, and stir through
• Divide batter equally into the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove pans from oven
• Set cakes aside in the pan for 5-10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely
• Sift icing sugar and cinnamon into medium bowl. Add the lemon zest. Then pour in the lemon juice one tablespoon at a time, mixing until a smooth, thick icing is made
• To assemble, spread icing over the top of cakes. Top with a medley of mixed fruit and almonds. Allow the icing to set

MINI FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Mix fruit, raisins, currants and brandy.
• Let sit overnight.
• In the morning, cream together the brown sugar, butter and egg.
• Mix flour, salt, baking soda and spices.
• Add to egg mixture.
• Mix well and stir in marinated fruit.
• Add walnuts if desired. (I do half with, half without nuts.).
• Fill paper lined muffin cups 1/2 full.
• Bake at 300F for 30 minutes.
• While still warm pour 1/4 teaspoons brandy over each.
• I gnerally mark the plain cakes with a 1/2 glace cherry and the ones with the nuts with a 1/2 walnut.