Recipe - Creole Christmas Fruitcake

=== FOR THE SIMPLE SYRUP ===
2 cup Sugar
2 cup Water
1 Strips zest of 2 lemons;
(abt 3 tbspns)
Juice of 2 lemons; (abt 1/4
cup)
=== FOR THE CAKE ===
1 pound Combination of dried fruits
(such as blueberries;
cranberries,
Cherries; raisins, and
chopped apricots)
1 pound Unsalted butter; room
temperature
2 cup Sugar
4 ounce Almond paste
8 lg Eggs
1 cup Grand Marnier or other
orangeflavored
Liqueur
4 cup Flour
2 teaspoon Baking powder
One fourth teaspoon Salt
One fourth teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Fresh grated nutmeg
1 cup Silvered blanched almonds
1 cup Pecans pieces
1 cup Walnut pieces
One half cup Bourbon

Make a simple syrup by combining the sugar and water in a mediumsize
heavybottomed saucepan over mediumhigh heat. Add the lemon zest and
juice and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil for 2
minutes and remove from the heat. Combine the dried fruits together
in a large mixing bowl. Pour the simple syrup over them, toss to
coat, and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain and reserve the syrup.
Creme the butter, sugar, and almond paste together in the bowl of an
electric mixer fitted with a paddle at low speed, occasionally
scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat until the mixture is fluffy
and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in
between each addition on low speed and scraping down the sides of the
bowl as necessary. Add One half cup of the Grand Marnier and mix to
incorporate. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and
nutmeg in a mediumsize mixing bowl and blend well. Add this mixture
One half cup at a time to the butter mixture with the mixer on low speed,
each time mixing until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides
of the bowl as necessary. The batter will be thick. Add the warm
fruit and all the nuts a little at a time, mixing well. Scrape down
the sides of the bowl and the paddle. Preheat the oven to 350
degrees. Lightly grease twelve 1pound loaf pans. Spoon about 1 cup
of the batter into each pan. Bake until golden and the tops spring
back when touched, about 45 minutes (rearranging them after 25
minutes if necessary to brown evenly). Cool for 10 minutes in the
pans. Remove cakes from the pans and cool completely on wire racks.
Wrap each cake in a layer of cheesecloth. Store in plastic storage
bags until they are slightly stale, 3 to 4 days. Combine the reserved
simple syrup with the remaining One half cup Grand Marnier and the
bourbon. Without removing the cheesecloth, make tiny holes with a
toothpick randomly on the top of each cake. Pour 2 tablespoons of the
syrup over the top of each cake once every 2 to 3 days until all of
the syrup is used. Let the cakes age for up to 3 weeks before eating.
This recipe yields 12 cakes.

Recipe Source: EMERIL LIVE with Emeril Lagasse adapted from his
CREOLE CHRISTMAS (c) 1997 William Morrow Publishing From the TV
FOOD NETWORK (Show # EM1B61 broadcast 10121998) Downloaded from
their WebSite http://www.foodtv.com

Formatted for MasterCook by Joe Comiskey, aka MR MAD
jpmd44a@prodigy.com or MADSQUAD@prodigy.net

10231998

Recipe by: Emeril Lagasse

Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.