AUNT MARY'S FRUIT CAKE

One of my memories of Christmas was when our family received a fruit cake in the mail from my mom's sister Mary soon after Thanksgiving Day.

Dad and Mom would carefully unwrap the cake from the layers of waxed paper and aluminum foil . Then together they would begin rewrapping the cake with layers of cheese cloth and placing the bundle in a round tin that they had saved for this very special home-made with love fruit cake.

Dad would pour bourbon over the cake soaking all the cheese cloth that surrounded it. Mom then placed the lid on the tin and hid the tin in the bottom back of the refrigerator. There it stayed until Christmas Eve.

I never really understood the ritual of the soaking the fruit cake, but it was pleasant to watch my parents work together and listen to them oooing and aaahhing on how delicious the cake smelled and how good it was going taste on Christmas Eve.

The cake did smell wonderful, but the smell of the bourbon made me sneeze. Mom would tell me not to worry and assured me the smell of the bourbon would go away. "It makes the cake stay moist."

Well, I'm all grown up now and know that it was or is a common practice to soak fruit cakes; but for the life of me I still ask myself, "Why?"

This cake is very expensive to make and "Why" would you want to ruin it by pouring bourbon on it. Maybe I'll try it one day - but for me and my fruit cake, we don't need it. This is the best fruit cake in the world and very moist. I've compared every fruit cake that has crossed by palate to my Aunt Mary's and Aunt Mary's is the BOMB!

I'm publishing her recipe in her memory. May her love of cooking bless you this holiday season.

MY FRUITCAKE
Makes 1 large ring and 2 loaves or 4 loaves

Note: Recipe has been updated from the original early 1900's to the 21 century to the best of my ability

1 lb. mixed citron
1 lb. dates - cut up
2 lb. golden raisins
1 lb. pecans - coursely chopped
1 lb. walnuts - coursely chopped
1 lb. green and red cherries
(reserve some nuts and cherries for decoration)
8 large eggs or 10 medium eggs
1 lb. brown sugar
4 cups flour
1 teas. Baking powder
1 teas. Salt
1 teas. Ground Cinnamon
1 teas. Ground Cloves
1 teas. Ground Allspice
1 teas. Ground Ginger
6 oz. frozen orange juice
2 lemons (3 tablespoons lemon juice)
1 1/4 Cups margarine (melted)

Directions:

Beat eggs slightly. Add brown sugar and mix. Add half of flour which has been mixed with all other dry ingredients. Dredge fruits and nuts with other half of flour. Pour the eggs, sugar, and dry ingredients mixture over the fruit and nuts. Mix in the orange juice and juices of two lemons. Add melted margarine and mix well.

Spray cooking spray on non-stick pans and layer with two layers of waxed paper. Bake at 250 degrees for 3 1/2 hours with a pan of water on bottom of oven. Brush cakes with honey or light corn syrup after decorating the cakes with nuts and halved cherries. Cool on racks. Wrap in foil and store in cool place.


I LOVE YOU AUNT MARY