Fruit Cake

With apologies for my tweaking to November 1969 Gourmet Magazine

(RIP Gourmet Magazine)

In a large bowl combine

1 pound thin sliced candied pineapple

1 pound golden raisins (I use dried blueberries and cherries or craisins instead)

½ pound finely shrdded citron peel

½ pound candied cherries cut in half

½ pound sultanas

½ pound currents

½ pound shredded candied orange peel

Pour over the fruits

1 Cup Cognac, cover and refrigerate for two days, stirring occasionally.

Remove fruit from refrigerator and sprinkle with

½ cup flour

Add ½ pound pecans

Mix well with your hands.

Combine

1 ½ Cups flour

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon mace

½ tsp baking soda

1 pinch of ground cloves

In the mixer

Cream

½ cup butter until very light

Beat in 2 Cups sugar

6 eggs

2 squares unsweetened melted chocolate

1/4 Cup cognac

Add the flour mixture a little at a time until it is thoroughly mixed

Pour over the fruit and nut mixture and mix thoroughly with your hands (I use a large wooden spoon)

Butter two loaf tins, two 9 inch spring form pans, one (angel food) tube pan, or two 9 inch square pans and line with parchment paper, and butter it.

Pour the batter into the pans and bake at 275 for 1 ½ hours for the small pans or 3 hours for the tube pan.

Test the cakes for doneness by inserting a small skewer into the middle.

Remove from pans and let them cool for a couple of hours.

Remove the pans rom the tins, leaving the paper on and wrap them in clean muslin (a dishtowel works, or a cloth napkin) which has been saturated with cognac.

Store in an airtight tin for up to a year, being sure to keep a small towel on top saturated with cognac, and renew the cognac occasionally.

Note: I frequently keep adding cognac and keep the fruitcake for several years.

Pie Crust

Use a dough cutter or a fork to make the following the consistency of cornmeal:

1 Cup flour

1/3 cup butter

1 Tsp salt

Add 3 Tbs very cold water and clump it together. If it doesn’t clump add more water until it does (use no more than 5 total tbs cold water).

Roll out 1/3 for a bottom pie crust.

Roll out the other third for a top crust.

Do NOT knead or handle the dough more than necessary or it will become tough and cardboard-y.

Chocolate Maple Pecan Pie

Combine in the mixer

1 Cup of maple syrup

3 eggs

½ Cup of sugar

2 Tbs butter melted

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Cups broken pecans

Add

1 Cup pecan halves

Pour into

1 unbaked pie crust into which you have spread ½ Cup melted semi-sweet chocolate

Bake at 350 for about an hour. It’s done when you stick a knife into it and the knife comes out clean.