Bourbon Fruit Layer Dessert Recipes

Steps:

• Peel each orange and finely dice the flesh, discarding the tough core and any seeds (I find it easiest to quarter each orange, then peel).
• Hull and dice the strawberries.
• Put both fruits in a bowl and add the bourbon. Add 1/2 tablespoon of the sugar and stir. Leave to soak for about 30 minutes in the fridge. Gently stir as frequently as you can- every 5 minutes if possible- to evenly blend the flavours.
• Finely grate the chocolate until you have the required 4 tablespoons grated (chilling it beforehand stops it from melting in your hands as you grate it) .
• When the fruit has finished soaking, whip the cream until it starts to stiffen.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar to the cream.
• Drain the fruit through a sieve, pouring the juices and bourbon into the whipped cream. Stir gently to mix.
• In four glasses, put a layer of fruit, then cream, then chocolate flakes. Repeat the layers of fruit, cream and chocolate, finishing with the chocolate. If desired, top with a fanned strawberry.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time. In another bowl, mash bananas, and combine with buttermilk and vanilla. Add alternately to butter mixture with flour mixture, beginning and ending with flour.
• Beat egg whites until stiff; fold into batter.
• Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
• When cake layers are cool, whip cream with confectioners' sugar until stiff. Fold in sour cream. Place a cake layer on a plate, and spread with filling to within 1 inch of edge. Place other layer on top, and press down lightly. Chill for 1 hour.
• Slice bananas 1/2 inch thick. Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. When it sizzles, add slices in a single layer. Sprinkle with sugar. When golden brown, turn slices; cook until brown on other side.
• Carefully pour in bourbon (using a measuring cup, never the bottle) and ignite with a match. Cook until flames die down, shaking the pan to toss bananas in syrup. Remove from heat.
• Arrange banana slices on top of cake. Pour remaining syrup over cake, letting it drip down sides. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan. Line with parchment; butter parchment. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
• Beat butter with granulated and brown sugars on medium-high speed until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Beat in bourbon. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternatingwith milk and beginning and ending with flour; beat until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle top with berries, pressing some down into batter. Sprinkle generously with sanding sugar. Bake until edges begin to pull away from pan and top springs back when lightly touched, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Let cool in pan 20 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack carefully (cake is quite fragile when warm); remove parchment. Turn cake top-side up; let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Steps:

• Relative amounts of dried and candied fruit can be varied, but the total amount of fruit should be about 5 cups.
• Additional fruit and nuts can be added if you like lots in your fruitcake.
• Chop fruit as necessary.
• Halve the green and red candied cherries, and very coarsely chop apricots and dried pineapple.
• Very coarsely chop pecans.
• Place fruit and nuts in a large bowl, and toss well with the 1/2 cup all-purpose flour.
• Cream softened butter and sugar, using an electric mixer, until well combined.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, and set aside.
• Sift all dry ingredients, and stir until well combined.
• Stir 1/3 cup bourbon into milk in measuring cup.
• Using an electric mixer, alternately, add flour mixture and milk mixture to the creamed butter, starting and ending with flour, mixing to combine well after each addition.
• When thoroughly combined, toss flour coated fruit and nuts again, and fold into batter using a large wooden spoon or spatula.
• Place rack in middle of oven with second rack below, place a cookie sheet on the lower rack to shield loaf pans from heat.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease 5-6 mini-loaf pans (3"x5½”x2") loaf pans or a 10" tube pan (preferably with a removable bottom), and line with greased wax paper.
• If using mini-loaf pans just press 5 or 5½” wide pieces crosswise in pans; don’t worry about the pan ends.
• Fill pans just to the top or a little below with batter, dividing evenly.
• Fruitcakes will rise just a little above the top a little during baking, but they won’t overflow.
• If using mini-loaf pans, bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each loaf comes out clean, If using a tube pan, bake for about 1-1/2 hours or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Pans should be shuffled about and turned after half of baking time has passed to ensure that fruitcake (s) bake evenly.
• When done, remove fruitcakes from oven, and set on cooling racks to cool for 10 minutes.
• Turn fruitcakes out of pans, peel off wax paper, and set on cooling racks for another 10 minutes.
• Brush loaves generously with dry sherry, and return to racks to cool completely.
• Allow to set overnight, covered, for sherry to soak in to loaves.
• Cut cheesecloth into pieces large enough wrap each loaf in a double or triple layer, and soak cheesecloth pieces in 1/2 cup bourbon.
• Wrap loaves in the cheesecloth, and sprinkle any remaining bourbon on top.
• Wrap in foil, and set in a cool place to age for 1 week.
• Carefully peel back foil, and brush or spray each loaf with remaining 1/2 cup bourbon.
• Replace foil, and allow loaves to age 1 more week before eating or giving as gifts.
• This brushing and aging process can be repeated several more times if desired, assuming that you started well before Christmas.
• This recipe can easily be doubled if your oven is large enough to handle all the pans.