Fruitcake for the holidays - includes recipes

Flower & Garden Magazine, Dec-Jan, 1994 by Inger Skaarup

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT aspects of the holiday season is the opportunity to spend time with family or friends. Although holiday brunches, lunches and dinners all have their rightful place on the agenda of festivities, they can't beat the fun of sharing a day in the kitchen baking favorite cookies and cakes for the season ahead.

When compiling your list of recipes, why not plan to make fruitcake too? Sure, the word itself may cause you to revisit the weighty horrors of fruitcakes past, but confidently set those memories aside. The two recipes given here can be made and eaten with pleasure.

The recipe for Fabulous Holiday Fruitcake makes a lightly spiced applesauce cake with a fine, moist crumb and stuffed with a plethora of natural dried fruit. Use home-dried produce from your garden, such as dried apples, peaches, cherries or blueberries, or obtain your supply of dried fruits from the natural grocer.

Panpepato, a spicy, chocolate-flavored Italian Christmas bread, is a direct descendant of medieval sweet breads that were crammed with nuts, raisins and spices. Still made today, the small round breads are a unique addition to the holiday table's sweet offerings.

Although both recipes are easy to prepare, they are somewhat time-consuming since they call for lots of ingredients that need chopping. That's just one more reason to organize a baking party and share some genuine holiday cheer.

FABULOUS HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE

This fruitcake is full of delicious natural dried fruit. Try the fruits suggested, or be more creative with dried mango or papaya, or dried cherries, cranberries or blueberries.

To make the cake, you will need the following equipment: 4 small loaf pans (5-1/2x3x2-1/8 inches; 2-1/4-cup capacity) or 2 average loaf pans (8-1/2x4-1/2x2-3/4 inches; 5-1/4-cup capacity); wax paper or baking parchment; extra-large bowl; muslin, cotton fabric or cheesecloth (optional); and metal or plastic boxes for storing cakes (optional).

Fruit:

1/2 C. (3 ounces) cut-up dried pears,

packed

1/2 C. (3 ounces) cut-up dried

peaches, packed

1/2 C. (3 ounces) cut-up dried apri-

cots, packed

1/2 C. (3 ounces) cut-up dried pitted

prunes, packed

1/2 C. (3 ounces) cut-up dried pitted

dates, packed

1 C. (3-1/4 ounces) cut-up dried apple

slices, packed

1/2 C. (2-1/2 ounces) seedless raisins,

packed

1/2 C. (2-1/2 ounces) golden raisins,

packed

1/4 C. (1-1/4 ounces) dried currants

1/4 C. (2 ounces) candied pineapple,

chopped (optional)

1/2 C. dark rum or brandy

Cake:

Solid shortening

Butter-flavor no stick cooking spray

2 large egg whites

1 C. light brown sugar, packed

1/4 C. canola or safflower oil

1/4 C. honey

1/4 C. apple or orange juice

1 C. unsweetened applesauce

1 t. vanilla extract

1 T. grated orange zest or 1/2 t. orange

oil or orange extract

1 C. unsifted all-purpose flour

1/2 C. unsifted whole wheat pastry

flour (or use a total of 1-1/2 C. all-

purpose flour)

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. ground cloves

1/4 C. toasted wheat germ

Dark rum or brandy for soaking

cakes (optional)

1 recipe Vanilla Icing Glaze

Pecan or walnut halves or whole

blanched almonds (optional) for

garnish

At least 24 hours before baking the cakes (or as early on the baking day as possible), assemble all the fruit in a large bowl. Stir in the dark rum or brandy, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Position two racks to divide the oven in thirds, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease the pans with solid shortening. Cut wax paper or parchment liners to fit inside and press the papers against the greased pan bottom and sides. Lightly coat the paper with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the egg whites, brown sugar, oil, honey, juice, applesauce, vanilla and grated zest or orange flavoring. Whisk, or blend well with an electric mixer on low. Set a large strainer over the bowl and add both flours, the baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Sift and stir the dry ingredients onto the wet. Add the wheat germ. With the whisk, or the mixer on low speed, mix just until blended. Do not overbeat.

Stir the spirit-soaked fruit into the batter and blend well. Divide the batter among the prepared pans, filling them about three-quarters full. (The batter is very heavy, and while it does rise, it will not overflow the pans.) Bake small loaves for about 60 to 65 minutes and regular loaves for about 75 to 80 minutes, or until the cakes are risen and golden brown on top, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for about 10 minutes. Then tip them gently from the pans, peel off the paper, and set them right side up on wire racks to cool completely.

When the cakes are completely cool, you may wrap them in rum- or brandy-soaked cloths, place in heavy-duty zipper-style plastic bags or plastic boxes and set in a cool dark location to age for about one month. Renew the spirits when they dry out. (Do not attempt to substitute fruit juice for spirits; only the alcohol will preserve the cakes.)

To glaze the cakes, set them on racks over wax paper. Drizzle some of the glaze on top of each cake, letting it run down the sides. If you wish, place a few nuts in the glaze before it dries. Allow the glaze to dry and set, about 30 minutes. When the glaze is hard, you can wrap the cakes in plastic and freeze them, give them as gifts, or slice and serve.