posted by BarbCA 11-25-98 6:05 AM
Wrap in cheesecloth dampened with your favorite beverage. I use brandy but have used sherry or rum. It keeps very well. You can add or subtract fruits and use the ones you like best.
DARK FRUITCAKE
1 box (15oz.)dark raisins
1 bok (15 oz.) golden raisins
2 cups snipped dates
1 1/2 cups glace fruit
2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
I use a mixture of both.
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
5 eggs
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp each cloves and mace
1/2 cup fruit juice
1 cup jam (I use seedless blackberry)
Mix fruits and nuts and mix in 1 1/2 cups flour. Cream butter. Gradually add sugar and molasses. Beat in eggs; add
remaining flour that has been sifted with salt, soda, and spices.
Mix well. stir into fruit and nut mixture along with fruit juice and jam. Turn into two greased and paper lined loaf
pans.Place a panof water on the lower shelf. Bake at 275' for about 3 1/2 hours.
Cool slightly; remove from pan. When cool wrap in brandy soaked cheesecloth and then in foil for storage. You can add almost any kind of fruit or nuts though these are my favorite combination.