The Best Fruitcake You'll Ever Want

The Only Fruitcake Recipe You'll Ever Want

3 cups (15-oz. Pkg) dark raisins or 3 cups chopped dates or pitted prunes

3 cups (15-oz. Pkg.) golden raisins3 cups dried apricots chopped

3 pkgs. (16-oz size) mixed candied fruit

¾ cup brandy, rum or apple juice

3 cups butter, margarine or shortening

2 ½ cups sugar

12 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 bottle (12-oz.) dark molasses

1 tablespoon grated orange rind

1 grated lemmon rind

1 pkg. (2 lpb.) all-purpose folur or 7 cups unsifted all purpose flour

2 teaspons baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon ground cloves

2 cans (8-oz. Size) or 4 cups walnuts coarsely chopped

½ to 1 cup brandy or apple juice

½ cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoons water

candied cherry halves, citron and walnut halves for garnish

1. In a large bowl, combine dark raisin, golden raisins, appricots and mixed candied fruit. Toss with brandy. Cover with plastic film and allow to soak overnight at room temperature.

2. Next day, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Tear off four 13 X 18-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil and line four 9 X 5 X 3-inch loaf pans. Carefully press foil into corners and smooth out folds; allow some foil to hang over edges of pans. Do not grease.

3. In a large bowl with electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Clean side of bowl and beaters.

4. Beat in eggs, one at a time; add vanilla extract. Gradually beat in molasses until well blended. Stir in orange and lemon rinds. Turn into large stock pot to mix.

5. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Add to creamed mixture and beat until well blended and smooth.

6. Stir in brandy-soaked fruits and walnuts. Spoon batter into foil-lined pans and spread evenly into corners.

7. Bake 2 hours, or until cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

8. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes. Using foil overhang, lift loaves from pans; place on wire racks to cool completely. Remove foil.

9. Cut 4 lengths of cheescloth to wrap around each cake. Soak cheescloths in ½ cup brandy and wrap each cake. Overwrap completely and securely with foil and plastic wrap. Store in tightly covered container in cool atmosphere, or freeze.

10. If stored more than 2 weeks, unwrap and resoak cheesecloth and wrap again. Repeat every 2 weeks. Store fruit cakes for up to four to six weeks. The fruitcakes may be served immediately after making, but the soaking and storing process gives them a mellow, rich flavor.

11. After storing time is up, make glaze: Combine corn syrup and water in a small saucepan, heat to boiling, then cool.

12. Unwrap fruitcakes, brush off surface crumbs, then brush with glaze. Deccorate with candied cherry halves, bits of citron and walnut halves. Brush with glaze again and allow to set 15 minutes. Cut into thin slices to serve.

13. To present fruit cakes as gifts: Wrap each decorated, glazed fruitcake in plastic wrap. Tie with ribbon and make your own personalized, label. Place in appropriate sized, tissue-lined box. Wrap entire box with gift paper and tie with ribbon, finishing off with a sprig of holly or Christmas evergreens.

Makes 4(3-lb.) fruitcakes