Fruitcake!

When I was in High School we sang a Christmas song called FRUITCAKE! Yes, we were dressed in the outfits above and 'acted out' parts of the song. My part was 'Cinnamon'. There were the flour guys (Basses) and then the nuts and so on...It was so much fun! Speaking of Fruitcake - I am so lucky because I have a hand-written recipe for Mary Farmer's Fruitcake. I was cooking recently, and noticed that I have used the same recipe cards over and over for so many years. I got most of them at my wedding shower. When I cook the recipe, I look at that handwriting- my grandmother's, my mom's, my sisters...and really enjoy the 'home made' component of a hand-written recipe. Anyway, in this day and age everything is on the computer - and a good thing too! I lose stuff. Once it is here, hopefully, I'll never lose it again....


Fruitcake:
1 lb of light raisins
1/2 lb pitted dates
1/2 lb walnut meats
1 lb unsalted pecans (on my paper it says unshelled? Hahahah)
1 tub of cherries and pineapple (candied and glazed)
1/4 c molasses
1/4 cup sherry wine
1 cup shortening, (Mom's note: use margarine)
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups flour
1/4 t soda
1/4 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t nutmeg
Mix fruits, nuts, wine and molasses. Cream butter (shortening/margarine) add sugar, beat in eggs, one at a time. (Mom's note: dice up the dates with a bit of flour to keep from sticking together.)
Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add fruit mixture and sift the dry ingredients in. (Mom's note: Mix the whole thing with your hands--it's too hard to use a spoon!) Transfer into 2 meatloaf pans. Bake at 275 degrees for 2 and 1/2 hours with a pan of water on the bottom rack in the oven. Prop open oven door when baking is completed with a wooden spoon and let cool. Once completely cooled, sprinkle with a bit more sherry and wrap in foil. Repeat sherry sprinkle 3 more times once a week. Mom's note: Save some red and green candied cherries to decorate the top of the loaf with!