Country Chef Reader

When I was growing up, fruitcake was enjoyed by most grown ups around the holidays. It seemed to be somewhat of an adult treat; a desire for the fruit-filled doorstop escaped me entirely. My mom, her friends and my aunts looked forward to making and eating it, much like we kids longed for frosted sugar cookies and Russian Tea Cakes. I remember fruitcakes being baked in early December, wrapped in rum or brandy soaked cheesecloth, and then tucked away in obscure places around the house to "season."

Years later as a newlywed, and living far away from family, we were given fifteen (that's right, fifteen) foil wrapped fruitcakes by our thoughtful, well-meaning neighbors. They didn't want us to get homesick. And frankly, it was oddly comforting to have fruitcakes stacked in our tiny refrigerator just an arm's length away. Although we appreciated their kindness, neither one of us would eat the stuff.

It was that year, far away from home and with lots of time on my hands, I learned why I didn't like fruitcake. I discovered, through careful dissection, that fruitcakes were largely made up of a suspicious looking mixture called Fruitcake Mix. Ick! Other distasteful culprits in the fruitcakes were identified as dried citrus peel and dark raisins. More ick! One saving grace for the traditional, although aromatic, brick was the dense dark cake, loaded with sugar and spice and everything nice, like applesauce, honey and nuts.

And that's how and why I developed Applesauce Fruitcake with Honey, and other similar recipes for fruitcake. I omitted the suspect fruits and replaced them with candied cherries, candied pineapple, golden raisins or currants, and toasted pecans or walnuts. All of this was folded into just enough spiced cake batter to hold everything together. Now, we're talkin' holiday fruitcake! I've loved it ever since, and that's with or without the rum.

Applesauce Fruitcake with Honey
3 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 3/4 cups granulated white sugar
1 cup shortening or margarine
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups honey
2 cups dates, chopped
2 cups golden raisins or currants
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup candied cherries
1/2 cup candied pineapple

Preheat oven to 250°F. Blend together applesauce, granulated white sugar, and shortening; pour into a medium saucepan; boil gently for 5 minutes. Set mixture aside to cool.

Mix together 4 cups flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Gradually add to cooled applesauce mixture.

In a medium bowl, mix together honey, dates, raisins, walnuts, candied cherries and pineapple; fold into the applesauce mixture; add 1/2 cup flour; mix well.

Divide mixture into 3 greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; bake in a pan of hot water for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Cool completely.

The fruit and spice flavors of fruitcake are enhanced when it’s wrapped tightly in cheesecloth or plastic wrap and then stored in an air tight container. Storage in a cool dark place helps to preserve moisture and flavor. Slice and serve after 1 week; fruitcake keeps well for 4 to 6 weeks.

Yield: 3 loaves, approximately 36 slices

Baked and cooled fruitcakes can be wrapped in rum or brandy soaked cheesecloth to enhance flavors. This is of course optional.

More fruitcake recipes can be found in my apple cookbook, Sweet Apple Temptations

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Labels: fruitcake, Fruitcake Cookies, holiday cake

Last weekend I read that Americans love their holiday cookies and they look forward to cookies during the season more than any other treat. So I've put together a repertoire of cookie and cookie bar recipes. Most are old recipes made for us by our moms and grandmothers, cookies that have tasted heavenly to us since childhood.

I've also added a couple of runner-up recipes from the recent Favorite Holiday Recipe Contest. After personally stirring-up a batch of these sweet, tender morsels, they've officially been added to the holiday cookie list at the Briggs house as new traditions. Enjoy!

Cherry Winks
(Pictured Above)
5 cups corn flakes, coarsely crushed
2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, finely cut and drained
15 maraschino cherries, drained and cut into quarters

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda and salt; set aside.
Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well and then add sifted ingredients, mix until combined and then add nuts, dates and finely cut cherries.
Preheat oven to 375°. Shape 1 tablespoon cookie dough into walnut-size balls; roll in crushed corn flakes. Place on greased baking sheets. Top each cookie with a cherry quarter. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned, and then remove to a cooling rack. Yield: 5 dozen cookies
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Grandma Betty's 7-Layer Bars
(Pictured Below)
Preheat oven to 350°.
1 cube unsalted butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup flaked coconut
1-6 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1-6 ounce package butterscotch chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1½ cups chopped walnuts or pecans

Melt butter in a 9” x 12” baking pan (place butter in the baking pan and then melt it in the oven). Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over melted butter, then add layers of coconut, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips. Drizzle layered ingredients with 1 can sweetened condensed milk; top with pecans or walnuts. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack; cut into 2” bars while warm. Yield: 2½ dozen
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Russian Tea Cakes
(Pictured Below)
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
2½ cups all-purpose flour
Dash of salt
3/4 cup nuts, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400°. Mix together butter, ½ cup powdered sugar and vanilla. Sift flour and salt together; combine with butter mixture and add nuts. Roll into walnut size balls.
Place on baking sheet; bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until set but not brown. Roll in ½ cup powdered sugar. Cool completely and roll in powdered sugar for a second time. Place in an air-tight container. Yield: 2½ dozen
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Chocolate Crinkles (Hubby's Choice)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 squares unsweetened chocolate (4 ounces), melted
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup powdered sugar

Mix together oil, chocolate and sugar. Add in one egg at a time and mixing well with each addition, stir in vanilla. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Combine chocolate mixture with dry ingredients. Cover and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into powdered sugar; roll around and shape into balls. Place 2" apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Yield: 6 dozen cookies
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Red Raspberry Bars
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon cardamom or cinnamon
1½ cups old fashioned oats
1 12 or 18 ounce jar red raspberry preserves

Preheat oven to 400°. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; set aside. Combine flour, salt, soda, cardamom and oats in a large mixing bowl; add butter mixture and stir well. Press half the crumb mixture into a greased 9” x 13” baking pan; spread with preserves and sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes; cool slightly and cut into bars. Yield: 20 bars
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A new favorite adapted from the Favorite Holiday Recipe Contest by runner-up Denise von Pressentin. Original recipe will appear in the soon-to-be-published e-cookbook 24 Day Holiday Recipe Blitz 2010.

Fruit Cake Bars
1 3/4 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon rum or brandy extract
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons rum or brandy
1 cup red candied cherries
1 cup green candied pineapple
1 cup yellow candied pineapple
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 325°. Sift together flour, soda, salt and spices. Cream butter and sugar; beat until fluffy. Combine creamed mixture and dry ingredients. Fold in fruits and nuts. Spread into a 1-inch deep, 10" x 15" cookie pan with sides. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool and cut into bars. Place in an air-tight canister. This delicious substitute for fruit cake can be eaten right away, but they improve with age up to about 3 weeks.
Yield: Approximately 30 bars
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Another new favorite adapted from the Favorite Holiday Recipe Contest entered by runner-up April Poirier. Recipe will appear in the soon-to-be-published e-cookbook
24 Day Holiday Recipe Blitz 2010.

Velvet Chocolate Cookie "Cakes"
1 1-pound 2-ounce package Oreo Cookies (regular, not double stuff)
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
24 ounces vanilla almond bark or 2 12-ounce packages white chocolate chips
Green Sprinkles
Red Sprinkles

Break cookies into food processor; process until they become very fine crumbs. Add cream cheese and process until smooth; refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Shape into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet that's been covered with waxed or parchment paper; return to refrigerator.

Melt almond bark or white chocolate according to package directions. Dip/roll each cookie cake in melted bark; place on cookie sheet and immediately top with sprinkles. Allow to set-up in refrigerator for about 1-hour. Place in a sealed container.
Yield: 40 to 50 Cookie "Cakes"

Grandma Betty's 7-Layer Bars
(Recipe Above)








Russian Tea Cakes
(Recipe Above)








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Labels: 7-layer Bars, Cherry Winks, Fruitcake Cookies, Raspberry Bars, Russian tea cakes, Velvet Chocolate