Ah it's that time of year again. I'm wondering if anyone has a tried
and true recipe for a good fruit cake. I had good fruitcake, once,
years ago and would like to try my hand at making one. The one I liked
had real dried fruit, none of that brightly colored stuff that comes in
a plastic tub at the supermarket. Does anyone have a good recipe to
share?

Jess

Jessica V. wrote:
> Ah it's that time of year again. I'm wondering if anyone has a tried
> and true recipe for a good fruit cake. I had good fruitcake, once,
> years ago and would like to try my hand at making one. The one I liked
> had real dried fruit, none of that brightly colored stuff that comes in
> a plastic tub at the supermarket. Does anyone have a good recipe to
> share?
>
> Jess


My mom used to send me a homemade fruitcake every year in early
December. A few years ago, she sent me the recipe (below) instead ;-)
Notice that there is no butter or shortening in this cake; it's supposed
to be like that.



Best regards,
Bob


JUNE BENEFIELD'S CHERRY NUT CAKE
(I think my Mom copied this recipe from _The Houston Chronicle_)

1 pound candied cherries, cut in half (half red & half green is nice)
1 pound chopped pecans
1 pound dates,chopped
1/2 pound candied pineapple
Batter:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix chopped fruits and nuts with 1/2 cup flour. Beat eggs. Add sugar,
remaining flour salt and baking powder. Beat slightly. Combine fruit-nut
mixture with batter. Mix with hands. (There's no other way to handle
the mass says June) Bake in a tube pan lined with two thickness of wax
paper or heavy brown paper that's been liberally greased.
Bake 90 minutes at 325 degrees.

Notes:
I use this recipe, but I also add chopped dried Turkish apricots,
raisins, and chopped Brazil nuts. Last time I made it I also added some
diced prunes.

Sweetened dried pineapple works just as well as glasé pineapple, and
it's cheaper.

Baste with rum, bourbon, or brandy, and wrap tightly in cheese cloth and
heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Jessica V. wrote:
> Ah it's that time of year again. I'm wondering if anyone has a tried
> and true recipe for a good fruit cake. I had good fruitcake, once,
> years ago and would like to try my hand at making one. The one I liked
> had real dried fruit, none of that brightly colored stuff that comes in
> a plastic tub at the supermarket. Does anyone have a good recipe to
> share?
>
> Jess

If I were ever to try making a fruit cake it would be Alton Brown's
recipe from "Good Eats". You can find id by searching
www.foodnetwork.com for Free Range Fruitcake.

...fred

kuvasz guy wrote:
....for Free Range Fruitcake.
>
> ..fred
>

I have heard of Free Range Chickens, but Free Range Fruitcake?

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Chatty Cathy wrote:
> kuvasz guy wrote:
> ....for Free Range Fruitcake.
> >
> > ..fred
> >
>
> I have heard of Free Range Chickens, but Free Range Fruitcake?
>
> --
> Cheers
> Chatty Cathy
I think it's Alton's inside joke that his recipe uses real dried fruit
rather than the candied crap available in the stores...

...fred

kuvasz guy wrote:
> Chatty Cathy wrote:
>> kuvasz guy wrote:
>> ....for Free Range Fruitcake.
>>> ..fred
>>>
>> I have heard of Free Range Chickens, but Free Range Fruitcake?
>>
>> --
>> Cheers
>> Chatty Cathy
> I think it's Alton's inside joke that his recipe uses real dried fruit
> rather than the candied crap available in the stores...
>
> ..fred
>

Really?

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci...ml?rsrc=search

Free Range Fruitcake
<snip>

*1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped*

<snip>

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy - just curious..

On 2006-11-14, Jessica V. > wrote:

> and true recipe for a good fruit cake.

An annual oxymoron. I'm not a big Italian cuisine fan, but give me a
panatone every time.

nb

Chatty Cathy wrote:
> kuvasz guy wrote:
> > Chatty Cathy wrote:
> >> kuvasz guy wrote:
> >> ....for Free Range Fruitcake.
> >>> ..fred
> >>>
> >> I have heard of Free Range Chickens, but Free Range Fruitcake?
> >>
> >> --
> >> Cheers
> >> Chatty Cathy
> > I think it's Alton's inside joke that his recipe uses real dried fruit
> > rather than the candied crap available in the stores...
> >
> > ..fred
> >
>
> Really?
>
> http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci...ml?rsrc=search
>
> Free Range Fruitcake
> <snip>
>
> *1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped*
>
> <snip>
>
> --
> Cheers
> Chatty Cathy - just curious..

no candied blueberries, cherries, blueberries or apricots...

Here's the transcript:

http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Seaso...Transcript.htm

...fred

notbob wrote:
> On 2006-11-14, Jessica V. > wrote:
>
> > and true recipe for a good fruit cake.
>
> An annual oxymoron. I'm not a big Italian cuisine fan, but give me a
> panatone every time.
>
> nb

I'll take James Beard's Whiskey Cake... I'd post the recipe, but I
don't know what the issues are related to copyrights.

...fred

kuvasz guy wrote:
> Chatty Cathy wrote:
> > kuvasz guy wrote:
> > > Chatty Cathy wrote:
> > >> kuvasz guy wrote:
> > >> ....for Free Range Fruitcake.
> > >>> ..fred
> > >>>
> > >> I have heard of Free Range Chickens, but Free Range Fruitcake?
> > >>
> > >> --
> > >> Cheers
> > >> Chatty Cathy
> > > I think it's Alton's inside joke that his recipe uses real dried fruit
> > > rather than the candied crap available in the stores...
> > >
> > > ..fred
> > >
> >
> > Really?
> >
> > http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci...ml?rsrc=search
> >
> > Free Range Fruitcake
> > <snip>
> >
> > *1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped*
> >
> > <snip>
> >
> > --
> > Cheers
> > Chatty Cathy - just curious..
>
> no candied blueberries, cherries, blueberries or apricots...
>
> Here's the transcript:
>
> http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Seaso...Transcript.htm
>
> ..fred

the second "blueberries" should be "cranberries"... <sigh>...

kuvasz guy wrote:

>
> the second "blueberries" should be "cranberries"... <sigh>...

ROFL
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy - who still wants to meet a 'Nutritional Anthropologist'

On 14 Nov 2006 10:43:09 -0800, "Jessica V." >
wrote:

>Ah it's that time of year again. I'm wondering if anyone has a tried
>and true recipe for a good fruit cake. I had good fruitcake, once,
>years ago and would like to try my hand at making one. The one I liked
>had real dried fruit, none of that brightly colored stuff that comes in
>a plastic tub at the supermarket. Does anyone have a good recipe to
>share?

My favorite is Jacques Pepin's holiday fruitcake. It is in his JP
Celebrates cookbook. He makes his own candied fruit using fresh citrus
and dried fruits and uses a pound cake recipe for the cake.

On 14 Nov 2006 11:30:34 -0800, "kuvasz guy" > wrote:

>If I were ever to try making a fruit cake it would be Alton Brown's
>recipe from "Good Eats". You can find id by searching
>www.foodnetwork.com for Free Range Fruitcake.

Been there, done that. Wasn't even remotely impressed.

Chatty Cathy wrote:

>
> http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci...ml?rsrc=search
>
>
> Free Range Fruitcake
> <snip>
>
> *1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped*
>
> <snip>


Candied ginger isn't anything remotely like the corn-syrup sodden
day-glo cherries and other fruit sold for fruitcake that he advises you
not to use. It's a traditional method of preserving ginger, an
alternative to drying it.

Anyway, I highly recommend the recipe. I make it from time to time. The
fruits listed are suggestions, I've made it with various kinds of other
dried fruit and nuts, depending what I had on hand, and as long as you
get the volume right it will work.

The recipe does very well as cupcakes, and I've had people who swear
they don't like fruitcake ask to take extra home after trying them at
the holiday party.



Dawn

"kuvasz guy" > wrote in message
ps.com...
>
> notbob wrote:
>> On 2006-11-14, Jessica V. > wrote:
>>
>> > and true recipe for a good fruit cake.
>>
>> An annual oxymoron. I'm not a big Italian cuisine fan, but give me a
>> panatone every time.
>>
>> nb
>
> I'll take James Beard's Whiskey Cake... I'd post the recipe, but I
> don't know what the issues are related to copyrights.
>
> ..fred
>
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/11/19/Ta...w_round_.shtml

The whiskey cake sounds way easier to make. I love to cook, but when I see
a recipe like the Alton Brown one that has more than about 10 ingredients I
just don't want to do it.

Lynne

King's Crown wrote:
> "kuvasz guy" > wrote in message
> ps.com...
> >
> > notbob wrote:
> >> On 2006-11-14, Jessica V. > wrote:
> >>
> >> > and true recipe for a good fruit cake.
> >>
> >> An annual oxymoron. I'm not a big Italian cuisine fan, but give me a
> >> panatone every time.
> >>
> >> nb
> >
> > I'll take James Beard's Whiskey Cake... I'd post the recipe, but I
> > don't know what the issues are related to copyrights.
> >
> > ..fred
> >
> http://www.sptimes.com/2003/11/19/Ta...w_round_.shtml
>
> The whiskey cake sounds way easier to make. I love to cook, but when I see
> a recipe like the Alton Brown one that has more than about 10 ingredients I
> just don't want to do it.
>
> Lynne

<lol> so, I guess the pad thai is a non-starter?

...fred

"kuvasz guy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> King's Crown wrote:
>> "kuvasz guy" > wrote in message
>> ps.com...
>> >
>> > notbob wrote:
>> >> On 2006-11-14, Jessica V. > wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > and true recipe for a good fruit cake.
>> >>
>> >> An annual oxymoron. I'm not a big Italian cuisine fan, but give me a
>> >> panatone every time.
>> >>
>> >> nb
>> >
>> > I'll take James Beard's Whiskey Cake... I'd post the recipe, but I
>> > don't know what the issues are related to copyrights.
>> >
>> > ..fred
>> >
>> http://www.sptimes.com/2003/11/19/Ta...w_round_.shtml
>>
>> The whiskey cake sounds way easier to make. I love to cook, but when I
>> see
>> a recipe like the Alton Brown one that has more than about 10 ingredients
>> I
>> just don't want to do it.
>>
>> Lynne
>
> <lol> so, I guess the pad thai is a non-starter?
>
> ..fred
>
I just looked up a recipe for Pad Thai and it has 10 less ingredients than
the fruit cake. Not quite so annoying.

Lynne

King's Crown wrote:
> "kuvasz guy" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> >
> > King's Crown wrote:
> >> "kuvasz guy" > wrote in message
> >> ps.com...
> >> >
> >> > notbob wrote:
> >> >> On 2006-11-14, Jessica V. > wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> > and true recipe for a good fruit cake.
> >> >>
> >> >> An annual oxymoron. I'm not a big Italian cuisine fan, but give me a
> >> >> panatone every time.
> >> >>
> >> >> nb
> >> >
> >> > I'll take James Beard's Whiskey Cake... I'd post the recipe, but I
> >> > don't know what the issues are related to copyrights.
> >> >
> >> > ..fred
> >> >
> >> http://www.sptimes.com/2003/11/19/Ta...w_round_.shtml
> >>
> >> The whiskey cake sounds way easier to make. I love to cook, but when I
> >> see
> >> a recipe like the Alton Brown one that has more than about 10 ingredients
> >> I
> >> just don't want to do it.
> >>
> >> Lynne
> >
> > <lol> so, I guess the pad thai is a non-starter?
> >
> > ..fred
> >
> I just looked up a recipe for Pad Thai and it has 10 less ingredients than
> the fruit cake. Not quite so annoying.
>
> Lynne
To be honest, I haven't looked at the recipe; I watched the episode
thinging I'd want to try it and walked away thinking it would be easier
to go to a thai restaurant...

...fred

Absolutely, we make this one every year, sometimes a couple times each
year:

http://www.gosyro.com/recipes/01872....Fruit %20Cake

"kuvasz guy" > wrote
> To be honest, I haven't looked at the recipe; I watched the episode
> thinging I'd want to try it and walked away thinking it would be easier
> to go to a thai restaurant...
>

I buy Pad Thai sauce in a packet. Forgot the brand but it is very good.