Christmas Cooking
Christmas Cooking
CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE
- 2 cups mixed diced glacéed fruits
- 2 cups golden raisins
- 1 cup dark raisins
- 1 1/2 cups dried currants
- 1/2 cup halved red cherries plus
additional for garnish
- 1/2 cup chopped glacéed angelica
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 sticks softened
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup almonds ground fine in an
electric spiced grinder
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1/2 cup apricot jam
In a large bowl combine well the glacéed fruits, the raisins, the currants, 1/2 cup of the
cherries, 1/2 cup of the angelica
Line the bottom of a well-buttered 9 1/2-inch springform pan with a round of wax paper and
butter the paper. Into a small bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the salt, the
nutmeg, and the ginger. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together the butter and the
brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy and beat in 4 of the eggs, 1 at a time, ,br>
beating well after each addition. Drain the fruit mixture in a sieve set over the batter and
beat the juices into the batter. Pat the fruits dry between several thicknesses of paper towels
and in a bowl toss them with 1/3 cup of the flour mixture. Stir in the remaining flour
mixture into the batter, one fourth at a time, stir in the fruit mixture, the ground almonds,
and the walnuts, stirring until the mixture is just combined, and turn the batter out into the
prepared pan.
Put 2 loaf pans, each filled with hot water, in a preheated 300°F. oven and put the
springform pan between them. Bake the cake for 1 hour, brush the top with the remaining
egg, beaten lightly, and bake the cake for 1 hour more. While the cake is baking, in a
saucepan melt the apricot jam with the remaining 1 tablespoon rum over moderate heat,
bring the mixture to a boil, and strain it through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on
the solids.
Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes, remove the side of the pan, and invert
the cake onto the rack. Remove the pan bottom and the
wax paper very carefully, invert the cake onto another rack, and let it cool completely.
