Pecan Date Fruitcake Food

NO-CANDIED-FRUIT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Add pecans, cherries, pineapple and dates; toss to coat. Beat eggs and orange juice; add to fruit mixture and mix well. Line two 9x5-in. loaf pans with foil and grease the foil. Pour fruit mixture into pans and press down. Bake at 300° for 1-3/4 to 2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans. Remove foil. Brush with corn syrup; cool completely.

DATE-PECAN PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll out dough into a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch pie dish. Using kitchen shears, trim to a 1-inch overhang; fold under. Crimp edges or decorate as desired. Lightly prick bottom of dough with a fork. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack in lower third. Line dough with parchment; fill with dried beans or rice. Bake until edges begin to turn golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove beans or rice and parchment; bake until bottom and sides are golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. (Crust can be made up to a day in advance and covered tightly in foil.)
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden and fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely. Reserve 1 cup for topping; coarsely chop remaining 1 1/2 cups.
• In a small saucepan, bring dates, 1/2 cup water, and vanilla to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cook until almost all of liquid is absorbed, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer dates and remaining liquid to a food processor; puree until smooth.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, 3/4 cup date puree (reserve remainder for another use), corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, and salt until smooth; stir in chopped pecans. Pour filling into crust; arrange reserved whole pecans over top. Place a foil-lined baking sheet below rack, then place pie dish directly on rack; bake until filling wobbles slightly in center when gently shaken, 50 minutes to 1 hour. (If crust is getting too dark, cover with a foil ring.) Transfer to wire rack; let cool completely, at least 4 hours. Serve room temperature.

DATE-NUT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in the coconut, raisins, dates, pecans and orange zest. , Spoon into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 300° for 85-95 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Place a piece of waxed paper under rack. , In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and orange juice to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Stir in orange zest. Poke holes in cake with a long wooden skewer; gradually spoon glaze over fruitcake. Cool completely.

THE WORLD'S BEST FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Place coconut, dates, and pecan pieces in a very large (7 quart or larger) bowl. With your hands break up chunks of dates & coconut, and stir those 3 ingredients together.
• Add the cherries, pineapple, and sweetened condensed milk. Stir thoroughly. (I wear non-powdered surgical gloves, and stir it with my hands because the mixture is very stiff.).
• Let set at room temperature while you prepare the pans. Spray 2 - 9"x5" loaf pans with Pam. Line the pans with waxed (or parchment) paper. (We cut parchment paper in 4 1/4"x 16 1/4" and 8"x 12 1/2" strips for this. You want the paper to come up past the sides of the pans after the mixture is packed into the pans. It seems like a lot of work, but it's well worth the effort!) Now spray the paper (after you've pressed it into the pans) with Pam.
• Stir the ingredients well again.Divide the ingredients equally between the 2 loaf pans.
• Pack VERY TIGHTLY and smoothly into the pans. (I wet my hands & press, pack down, & smooth top, using both hands. Wetting your hands keeps them from sticking to "batter".).
• Place the pans on the middle rack of the oven and bake at 300 degrees F for 1 hour, or until lightly browned. (If the cakes have baked for an hour, or look a little brown around the edges, take them out of the oven & lift edges of paper a little to see if sides look brown enough. If they're brown on sides, but not on top, you may broil the tops for a few minutes-watch carefully.).
• Remove cakes from oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pans.
• Gently lift the edges of the paper a couple of times on each side - kind of a rocking motion. Turn pans upside down onto a paper-lined cookie sheet. Lift pans from the cakes. Remove paper from bottom of cakes IMMEDIATELY.
• Let cool completely. Place in a large container (don't wrap yet) and refrigerate overnight.
• Turn cake upside down to slice. After slicing, wrap in waxed (or parchment) paper, then in heavy duty aluminum foil.
• May be refrigerated up to 3 months or frozen up to 1 year.

SOUTHERN FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Grease and flour two 9x5-in. loaf pans. Line the bottoms with waxed paper; grease and flour the paper. Set aside., Combine the pecans, pineapple, peaches, raisins and 1/2 cup flour; set aside. , In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar; add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 1/2 cup peach nectar, honey and milk; beat well (mixture will appear curdled). Combine cinnamon, baking powder, salt, allspice and remaining flour; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Add pecan mixture; stir well., Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 325° for 1-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. , With a skewer, poke holes in the loaves. Spoon remaining nectar over loaves. Let stand for 10 minutes; remove from pans to a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in a cool place. Slice and bring to room temperature before serving.

DATE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Mix dates, walnuts and cherries.
• Sift together flour, salt and baking powder, and mix with the fruit mixture. Add sugar and mix.
• Beat 4 egg yolks until thick and mix thoroughly through cake mix. Add vanilla.
• Beat egg whites until stiff and dry and fold into mixture.
• Line 2 loaf pans with wax paper, pour in mix and bake 1 hr at 350 degrees, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Oven temperatures vary. Do not overbake if you have a hot oven.

TEXAN PECAN DATE FRUITCAKE - EGG FREE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and flour or line with parchment paper a 9-inch baking pan (square, round) or a 9x5 loaf pan.
• In a mixing bowl together the chopped dates, pecans, coconut, flour, orange zest, salt, cinnamon, and ginger until well combined. Pour in the sweetened condensed milk, and stir until a thick, sticky batter forms.
• Spread the fruitcake batter into the baking pan and then bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until the top is lightly brown. Be careful not to over bake it, as it will harden as it cools. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before slicing. The cake can keep in an airtight container for several days. It also freezes well.

CHERRY DATE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Add the pecans, cherries, pineapple and dates; toss to coat. Beat eggs and apple juice; add to fruit mixture and mix well. Grease two foil-lined 9x5-in. loaf pans. Press half of the mixture into each pan. , Bake at 300° for 1-3/4 to 2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans; carefully remove foil. Brush loaves with corn syrup. Cool completely.