Recipe - Brandied Fruit Cakes

4 One half cup Raisins
2 One fourth cup Currants
One half pound Soft butter or margarine
One half pound Soft shortening
2 cup Sugar
1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Almond extract
12 Eggs
1 cup Orange juice concentrate
(not thawed)
One half cup Honey
4 One half cup Unsifted all purpose flour
2 teaspoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Nutmeg
One half teaspoon Cloves (ground)
1 cup Pitted dates, cut up
2 One fourth cup Candied cherries
1 cup Blanched almonds, halved

**NOTE** I take the whole amount of fruit (10 cups) and make a nice
looking mixture. I don't necessarily use the amounts shown. If the
candied fruit is on sale, I just use more of it than the raisins. I still
end up with the 10 cups, but it is usually more of the fruit mix and
candied pineapple. The almonds I use are the slivered ones. Easier to
work with... The original recipe called for brandy or grape juice, but I
found that if you substitute the orange juice concentrate, it has a nicer
flavour.

Use 2 tube pans 10x4 each, or 5 loaf pans. Line pans with 23 thicknesses
of brown paper or 1 thickness of heavy foil; grease well with unsalted
shortening. (I use lard to grease and don't need to line with paper)

Wash raisins and currants and dry thoroughly between paper towels. Beat
butter and shorteningtogether very thoroughly; when smooth and fluffy, add
sugar gradually, beating continuously. Blend in vanilla and almond
extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in
orange juice and honey. This may cause the batter to appear separated, but
it will not affect results. Sift together remaining dry ingredients. Mix
prepared fruits and almonds in large mixing bowl; add sifted dry
ingredients, and mix well to coat pieces. Scrape egg and butter mixture
into bowl, and, using hands, combine very thoroughly. Fill each pan 3/4
full. Preheat oven to 275F. Bake cakes 1One half to 3One half hours, depending on
size of pans used. After first hour or so, place pan of water on bottom of
oven to prevent cakes from drying out. When cakes test done, remove from
oven, and let pans stand on racks until cakes are completely cooled. Remove
from pans, and peel of paper linings. Let ripen 45 weeks before serving.
This recipe makes dark moist cake, rich with fruits and mingled flavors of
spices, honey, and the like. If desired, recipe may be halved with good
results.

When they come out of the oven, I let them sit for a few minutes and then
take them out of the pans while still fairly hot. Let them cool for maybe
1520 minutes and then pack them while still warm. I pour One fourth to One half cup
brandy (apricot, orange, or cherry) onto the cakes, wrap in double
thickness of Handy wrap, then wrap in tin foil securely. I then store them
in the basement where it is cool and every couple of days I turn them to
make sure that the brandy diffuses throughout the whole cake. I have NEVER
had this recipe fail me. I am asked for it by most of my family members as
I send them for presents at Christmas. I have tried other recipes, but
this one has the moistest results I have found. By pouring the brandy on
AFTER it is cooked, you get a cake that kicks!! (for our A.A. friends, I
make "dry" ones with no brandy and it still stays moist.)

Origin: Chatelaines' Adventures in Cooking, adaptations by me. Shared by:
Sharon Stevens. Submitted By COOK4U@VIVANET.COM On THU, 7 DEC 1995 115018
GMT

File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mmdjaxxx.zip