A Regular Day

Sun coming up over the East Boulder.  The mountains around us got fresh snow last night, we didn’t, thank goodness!

What’s the consensus out there—do you like fruitcake??  I don’t or at least I didn’t until I tasted CJ’s!  I left her a Facebook message holding her responsible for the weight I will probably gain eating those delicious cakes!  These aren’t your usual dark, dry, sticky fruitcakes.  They are light, golden and filled with dried fruits which were soaked in brandy for over a month.  CJ used to write a blog but does no longer, is a quilter and lives in Arkansas.  She gave me permission to share this fabulous recipe:

CJ's Yummy Fruitcake

This is not your mother’s fruitcake. Rather than dark and spicy (good too!) this one is light, fruity and sumptuous all at the same time!  My comments are in pink.

Fruit:
6 cups diced dried fruit of your choice (I used dried apricots, cherries, figs, dates, and cranberries)
Enough brandy to cover the fruit, or put it in a bag and vacuum seal the air out, so much less brandy is needed.  It will pretty much take an entire bottle.  Let it marinate at least 24 hours, but weeks or months is even better. :)  I let mine marinate for about a month.

Cake:
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter
2 cups (14 ounces) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
3-3/4 cups flour (16 ounces – all purpose, unbleached)
1 cup (8 ounces) orange juice
2 cups (7-1/2 ounces) broken walnuts or pecans (I prefer pecans)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease three 8 x 4 loaf pans, (I didn’t have 8x4 pans, used three 5x9 pans and reduced the cooking time) or use 8 mini loaf pans.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar and add the baking powder, salt and vanilla; mix. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the flour alternately with the orange juice.
Drain the fruit and stir in along with the nuts.  Reserve the "juice".
Spoon the batter into the prepared pans. They should be about three-quarters full. Bake the cakes for about 60 - 70 minutes (50 - 55 minutes for mini loaves). They will be golden brown in color, and a toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean.
Remove the cakes from the oven, cool for 10 minutes and remove from pans. Brush with brandy. Feel free to use the leftover fruit infused brandy that you drained, unless of course you drank it.

When completely cooled, wrap well and let rest at least 24 hours, or up to a month, brushing with brandy weekly.

I prefer to wrap in plastic wrap and freeze at this point, or you can wrap in cheesecloth and brush with brandy weekly.  I brushed mine with the fruit infused brandy, let is all soak in, wrapped the cakes in plastic wrap and froze.  Of course I kept half of one out for us to sample!

Emmi got a bath and a minor haircut today—I didn’t trim much of her body coat, only her face, skirt, legs and feet, wouldn’t want her to get cold!  She has never been to a professional groomer, I’ve always trimmed her and cut her toenails.  Our previous schnauzer had to be muzzled for toenail clipping and the dachshund I had in another life almost had to be sedated!  Emmi is a jewel—maybe because I deliberately played with her feet when she was a puppy, clicking my fingernails against her nails to simulate the sound of the clippers—she doesn’t even flinch.

Michael came to me this morning and said, “would you help me split firewood?”  In spite of wanting to get started in the quilt studio I said yes—can’t turn the cowboy down!  We made another big pile of split firewood up in the pasture and Michael hauled some down and stacked it under our deck.  We are ready for the next storm.

 

In two days time these leaves went from being a beautiful golden yellow to brown—guess those 19 degree nights did it!