Nadine's Fruit Cake

Jokes are made about fruit cake-- 

how it makes for a good door stop, etc.

In my opinion, this fruit cake is 

nothing to joke about-- for sure, I will

never joke about it.  It's a real treat to/for 

me.  It's not a "cheap" cake to make, but, 

again, in my opinion, it is so worth 

whatever it costs to make it.

 My favorite FRUIT CAKE!!!, 

made by my sister Nadine!!!

Years ago, my sister Nadine got this recipe out of an issue of Farm Journal which many farmers subscribed to back them.  She makes this and shares with me.  It is my FAVORITE fruit cake.  I like it so much that I just cut off 1/4" slices at a time in order to make it last longer. 

Just lately, my daughter Cheryl made two variations of Fruit Cake-- both were very good, too.  She wants to try baking this recipe.  She WILL succeed, and I'm so happy about that!!!!!!!!!

Note:  This recipe has no Vanilla, no

other flavoring, and no spices in it.

Mix together, and beat vigorously with a spoon OR electric mixer for 2 minutes:  
1 cup cooking oil (such as Wesson oil, etc.)
l and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
Set aside for a little while.

 Sift together:
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon salt

Stir this dry combination into the above oil/sugar/egg mixture, ALTERNATELY with the next two "combined" ingredients:

1 cup pineapple OR 1 cup apple juice
1 cup more sifted flour

Set aside this batter until the following fruits are combined.

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Mix together:

1 cup thinly sliced citron (6 oz.)
1 cup candied pineapple (1-inch pieces) ... about 4 slices
2 cups whole candied cherries 
3 cups seedless white raisins (1 lb.)
2 cups nuts left in large pieces

Now, pour the  "set aside" BATTER at the top over this assortment of  combined/mixed fruit, stirring evenly and thoroughly.

Now:  Oil the empty pans, first.  Next, line the two "oiled" loaf pans, 8.5"long x 4.5" wide x 2.5"deep (measured from the open top). with "oiled" brown paper.  Yes, oil the lining paper very well, too. It will look "dark" when it is well oiled.  (You can use the brown paper from brown paper grocery bags to line the pans, but do not use any brown paper with printing on it.  Cut and bend another piece of brown paper to cover  the side/bottom/side; another piece to cover end/bottom/end.  You can let the oiled brown lining paper stick up higher than the pan by about 1/2".)

Pour thick batter into the prepared pans.  

Place a pan of water on the lowest oven rack.  

PRE-HEAT OVEN TO 275-degrees.

Bake cakes 2.5 to 3.0 hours in a very "slow oven" (275-degrees), on the middle rack. 

After baking, let cakes stand 15 minutes before lifting from pan while in the paper liner.  Cool on racks without removing the paper.  Carefully remove the oiled  brown paper liners after the cakes are almost cool.  

Store by wrapping tightly in aluminum foil (I prefer to wrap in something else ahead of the aluminum foil) and THEN add the foil to wrap tightly).  

Place in a covered jar (?) in a cool place to "ripen".  By storing it in the freezer, I can enjoy this fruit cake a year later and think it's freshly made.  

This recipe makes a combined total of 3.25 lbs. of fruit/nut cake(s).

The recipe won FIRST PLACE for a baker at the fair.  

My FIRST Brownies

These days, with brownie mixes often being on sale, I don't know how many people make 'brownies from scratch', but...................... I couldn't resist putting this recipe on here.  It takes me way back to the late 60's when they were my only 'go to' and from my old Betty Crocker cookbook.  The 'addition' of the marshmallow layer and chocolate frosting came to me through Dolores S.  She'd make her brownies like this and treat us whenever there were R.S. doings or parties... she's a great cook/baker, period!

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

• 2-3 cups miniature marshmallows, optional (spread on BAKED brownies)

 Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350° 
2. Grease 13x9x2-inch pan.  (If I'm after very 'neat-looking' cut brownies, I'll line the pan with foil-- one lengthwise piece going up and over each end for a 'grab tab', and another for the width and going up/over sides and grease its surface.)
3. Melt shortening and chocolate over low heat, or in microwave.
4. Mix in sugar, eggs and vanilla.
5. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix only until flour is incorporated.
6. Spread in prepared pan.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until sides begins to pull away from pan.  Do not over-bake.
8. Upon removal from the oven, turn oven off; scatter a layer of miniature marshmallows over hot top and put back into hot oven ONLY long enough for them to soften. 
9. Remove from oven and spread marshmallows.  Let cool for an hour.
10. Top the marshmallow layer with chocolate frosting (recipe follows)

Not that it's necessary by any means, but........in order to get clean/exact/sharp cuts for these brownies, I freeze them for a few hours and then remove the 'whole slab of brownies' to a wood cutting board.  While they are frozen, and with using a long/sharp knife, I can get the 'neat/sharp edges'. 

CHOCOLATE FROSTING Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, softened
• 1/3 cup sifted Hershey's cocoa
• 1 and 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Directions:

1.  Melt butter.  Stir in cocoa.

2.  Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on med. speed until it is of spreading consistency.  Add more milk in very tiny quantities, if needed.  Stir in vanilla.  This makes about 1 cup of frosting, or just enough for a thin layer over the marshmallows.  If you like a thicker layer of frosting, double this recipe.

Raspberry "Surprises"

 Originally, this recipe was named Raspberry Treasures from http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Raspberry-Treasures Since I ended up changing things around, I call them my 'Surprises".  I guess because I'm surprised they turned out with how I made them.

INGREDIENTS:

•  1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons sugar (I decided to add this)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• ----------------------------------------------
• 1/2 cup raspberry filling* (Recipe was tested using Solo brand filling-- see my note.)
• ----------------------------------------------
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon water

HOW TO MAKE:

• In mixing bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together.  Beat in vanilla. 
• Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture. 
• Divide dough in half; wrap each portion in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
• **On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness.  Cut with a floured 3-inch round cookie cutter.  Place 1 teaspoon raspberry filling in the center of each.  Bring three edges together over filling, overlapping slightly (a small amount of filling with show); pinch edges gently.  In a small bowl, beat egg and water together until smooth; brush over dough.
• Place 1-inch apart on ungreased or parchment paper-lined baking sheets.  Bake at 375-degrees for 10-12 minutes or until your oven has them a light golden brown.  Cool on pan for 1 minute before removing to wire racks.  Yield:  2 dozen if you make the tripod-shaped cookies.

*  I did NOT have raspberry 'filling' on hand, but I DID have raspberry preserves (jam).  Knowing the jam would run all over the place during baking, I did a search on how I could thicken this to work for me.  This is what I did:  I took 1/2 cup of the raspberry jam and added to it 1 tablespoon corn starch and then heated it until it thickened.  Cooled it on a plate for about an hour.  IT WORKED!!!!!!!!

** As you can see in the picture I posted with this recipe, I did not stick to the original way of making these.  I made just a few of the 'tripod' cookies (too much monkey work for me); then I put some raspberry filling between TWO solid rounds of the dough; after that, I put some filling on top of a solid round that was topped with a heart-cut-out round; and , finally, I spread filling on top of a rectangle of the dough and then rolled it up as I would a jelly roll and cut them into little slices.  It all worked, all taste the same-- some just look better!

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