JEAN AND ANNA'S FRUIT CAKE RECIPES

Fruit cakes should really be made a week or two before Christmas.  If you don't they will taste good, but they taste better with age.  After making them, letting them cool, you should wrap them in aluminum foil, put in an air tight container like a Tupperware or alike and placed in a cool place.  You could put them in the refrigerator or in the basement depending on where you live.

Someone asked for a recipe for one fruit cake.  You would have to cut the first recipe in half, and bake it in a large loaf pan.  If you don't understand how to cut the recipe in half, let Marilyn know.

JEAN'S FRUIT CAKE RECIPE

1 Cup butter
1 Cup White sugar
1 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup Molasses
1/2 Cup grated bitter chocolate
1/2 Cup boiling water
4 egg yolks
4 Cups flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 Cup sweet cream
1 Cup nuts
1 Cup cherries, candied
1 Cup, pineapple, candied
1 Cup Raisins
1 Cups Dates
1 Cup Figs

In large bowl (mixer bowl size), cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks and molasses, beating well.  Pour boiling water into chocolate and mix well; add to above mixture.  Sift flour, soda, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon together.  Cut up cherries, pineapple, dates and figs.  In a large bowl put nuts, cherries, pineapple, raisins, dates and figs, add a little flour mixture and mix well.  Add cream of tartar to egg whites and beat until stiff.  Add flour to creamed mixture alternately with cream, beating after each addition.  Add fruit, mixing well.  Gently fold in egg whites.  Bake in three small or two large loaf pans.  Grease and line pans with wax paper.  Bake at 275 degrees oven for 2 hours.

ANNA'S FRUIT CAKE RECIPE

2 1/4 sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 pound raisins
1/2 pound dates, cut
1/4 pound figs, cut
3/4 pound mixed candied peel
1/2 cup shortening
1 Cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup coffee

Sift flour with soda, salt and spices and add to fruit.  Cream shortening, add sugar gradually, then eggs and beat well.  Add floured fruit alternately with molasses and coffee.  Pour into 2 wax paper lined pans, cover with wax paper.  Bake in a preheated oven at 275 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

*NOTE: Nuts may be added when mixing fruit if desired.



AT ABOUT 2:00 AM THIS MORNING, ERIN AND LOVINA HAD A BABY BOY.  HE IS IN PERFECT CONDITION.  MOTHER AND BABY ARE DOING FINE.   WHEN JEAN CALLED ME THIS MORNING THEY WERE TRYING TO DECIDE BETWEEN THE TWO GRANDFATHER'S WHOSE NAME SHOULD GO FIRST. JEAN CALLED ME AGAIN. IT WAS DECIDED BY GRANDFATHER JOSEPH.  GRANDSON IS: NOAH JOSEPH.