Heirloom Fruitcake

Total Time: 6 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 3 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 lb candied cherry
• 1 lb candied pineapple
• 1/4 lb candied orange peel
• 1/4 candied lemon peel
• 1 cup shelled pecans
• 1 1/4 lbs pitted dates
• 1 lb golden raisin
• 1/2 lb dark raisin
• 1/2 lb currants
• 1 cup sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar, plus
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/2 cup grape jelly
• 2 cups dark rum or 2 cups brandy or 2 cups grape juice

Recipe

• 1 finely chop candied fruits and pecans.
• 2 snip dates and raisins into small pieces with kitchen shears dipped in hot water occasionally to prevent stickiness.
• 3 combine fruit and nuts in a bowl, add 2 or 3 t flour and toss to mix well.
• 4 sift together flour, baking powder, soda, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon.
• 5 set aside.
• 6 cream butter until fluffy, then add brown sugar and gradually beat until light and fluffy.
• 7 beat in eggs two at a time, then stir in vanilla, lemon juice, and orange juice.
• 8 mix jelly and rum/juice until smooth.
• 9 add alternately to batter with dry ingredients.
• 10 pour batter over fruit and mix throughly, using a wooden spoon or your hands.
• 11 pour batter into 2 greased and lined loaf pans or 1 ten-inch tube pan.
• 12 bake at 275 f for 3 1/2 hours.
• 13 paint generously with grape juice/brandy and wrap in cheesecloth and foil, keeping refrigerated until christmas time.
• 14 paint on more juice once or twice per week.