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Dark Rum Nut Fruitcake
Ingredients:
6 cups diced, mixed candied peel
1 1/2 cups diced candied citron
1 1/2 cups halved red candied cherries
1 1/2 cups halved green candied cherries
4 cups currants
6 cups seedless dark raisins
2 cups blanched slivered almonds
2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup dark rum
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups butter
2 1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
7 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
Method:
In large bowl, combine candied fruit, currants, raisins and nuts. Pour rum over mixture; stir to combine. Cover; let sit overnight. Prepare four 9
by 5" loaf pans as desired by buttering and lining them with buttered parchment paper. Drain any liquid from fruit/nut mixture, reserving liquid.
Add 1/2 cup flour to mixture; stir to coat. In separate large bowl, cream butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy; add brown sugar and
beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla and reserved liquid from fruit. In
another bowl, sift together 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Add gradually to creamed mixture, stirring just to blend. Stir
in floured fruit and nut mixture. Turn mixture into prepared pans. Bake 3 to 3 1/2 hours in preheated 250 degree F oven or until a tester
inserted in middle of each cake comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes in pans, then turn out on to racks. Carefully remove paper and cool completely.
Christmas Cheer
Ingredients:
1 gallon apple cider
8 cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 cups rum
Method:
Bring cider and cinnamon to a boil. Reduce heat and add liquor, stirring until heated. Serve in
pousse-cafe glasses. Garnish with cinnamon sticks.
Eggnog Truffles
Ingredients for Truffles:
2 cups milk chocolate chips
2 tb Butter or margarine
1/2 cup eggnog
Ingredients for Chocolate Cups:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 tb shortening
Method:
Chocolate Cups:
Melt chips with shortening in heavy, small saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly. Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of the chocolate mixture
into each of about 36 small foil candy cups. With back of spoon, bring some of the chocolate up side of each cup. Refrigerate until firm.
Truffles:
Melt chips with butter and eggnog in heavy, medium saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Pour into pie pan. Refrigerate until mixture is
thick, but soft, about 2 hours. Spoon truffle mixture into pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe mixture into chocolate cups. 3. Truffles can
be refrigerated 2-3 days or frozen several weeks.
Gingerbread Cutouts
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 to 2 tablespoons cold water
Method:
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Beat in molasses and egg. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, salt, cinnamon and cloves;
add to the creamed mixture alternately with water. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a rocking horse cookie cutter or cutter of your choice dipped in flour.
Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 F for 9-11 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Yule Log
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
6 eggs, separated
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2/3 cup sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon almond- or cherry-flavored liqueur, optional
Chocolate frosting (about 2 cups)
Sliced blanched almonds, optional
Cinnamon candies, optional
Sliced green glace cherries, optional
Method:
Lightly grease 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch jelly roll pan. Line bottom with waxed paper. Grease again. Set aside.
In small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar and water to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer 1 minute. Set aside to cool.
In large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar at high speed until foamy. Add 1/3 cup of the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating
constantly until sugar is dissolved (rub just a bit of meringue between thumb and forefinger to feel if sugar has dissolved) and whites are glossy
and stand in soft peaks.
In small mixing bowl, beat egg yolks at high speed until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually beat in remaining 1/3 cup of the
sugar until blended. Beat in vanilla, almond extract and salt. In small bowl, stir together ground almonds and flour. Sprinkle over whites. Add
beaten yolk mixture. Gently, but thoroughly, fold yolk mixture and almond mixture into whites. Pour into prepared pan. Gently spread evenly.
Bake in preheated 400° F oven until top springs back when lightly touched with finger, about 10 to 12 minutes. Dust clean tea towel with
confectioner’s sugar. With spatula, loosen cake from sides of pan and invert onto prepared towel. Carefully pull waxed paper off bottom of
cake. Trim all edges with serrated knife.
Stir liqueur, if desired, into cooled, reserved sugar syrup. Spoon evenly over inside surface of hot cake. Starting from short edge, roll up cake,
rolling towel with cake. Place wrapped roll seam-side down on wire rack until cool, about 30 minutes.
Carefully unroll cake. Spread with about 1 cup chocolate frosting.
Reroll. Place seam-side down on serving platter. Spread with about 1 cup
additional frosting, using small spatula to create tree-bark effect. Garnish with sliced almonds, candies and cherries, if desired.
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