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. What's Cooking 2023 Issue 3

It's time to think about...
Holiday Treats!

Old Fashioned Dark Fruitcake Chocolate Peanut Butter Nerds variation 2

Have you ever had a mediocre store-bought fruitcake? Most of us have.

But, have you ever tried an authentic Old Fashioned Dark Fruitcake, made from scratch? In this issue Nana's daughter, Susan, describes her adventure recreating Nana's signature fruitcake. You'll never think of fruitcake the same way again!

From Susan...

As a child, I remember seeing loaves of Nana’s fruitcake “seasoning” in the refrigerator during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Last Christmas, my friend and I decided to make Nana's fruitcake ourselves. We updated the recipe by lining the loaf pans with parchment paper instead of greased brown paper and wax paper, then after baking we placed them in the refrigerator in Ziploc bags with the parchment paper still wrapped around them (view image of loaves).

Once a week for six weeks, I unwrapped the cakes and brushed one with bourbon and the other with brandy, placing them back in the refrigerator. After this I periodically checked them to see if they looked dry and then would brush them with alcohol again. This process preserves the cakes for up to a year. In our taste test, the cake brushed with brandy was the winner, but both cakes were dense, moist, delicious, and a memorable treat!  

Just in time for the holiday season, we also updated the baking dish version (variation 2) of Nerd candy. This method is a faster and easier way to make Nerd candy, as compared to the original variation 1. The results are just as delightful to the taste buds.

Nerds and fruitcake were a holiday tradition for Nana, maybe it's time for you to give them a try for your family and friends. It's not too early to start thinking about special treats for the upcoming holiday season!

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