Fruitcake My Take On Alton Browns Recipes

Steps:

• Combine dried fruits, candied ginger and both zests. Add rum and macerate overnight, or microwave for 5 minutes to re-hydrate fruit.
• Place fruit and liquid in a non-reactive pot with the sugar, butter, apple juice and spices. Bring mixture to a boil stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for at least 15 minutes. (Batter can be completed up to this point, then covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before completing cake.)
• Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Combine dry ingredients and sift into fruit mixture. Quickly bring batter together with a large wooden spoon, then stir in eggs one at a time until completely integrated, then fold in nuts. Spoon into a 10-inch non-stick loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Check for doneness by inserting toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, bake another 10 minutes, and check again.
• Remove cake from oven and place on cooling rack or trivet. Baste or spritz top with brandy and allow to cool completely before turning out from pan.
• When cake is completely cooled, seal in a tight sealing, food safe container. Every 2 to 3 days, feel the cake and if dry, spritz with brandy. The cake's flavor will enhance considerably over the next two weeks. If you decide to give the cake as a gift, be sure to tell the recipient that they are very lucky indeed.

Steps:

• You should have 4 cups of fruit by the time you add in all the dried fruits. I went on and put in a stainless steel sauce pan and stirred in the rum. sealed with a piece of Press and Seal to keep the alcohol from evaporating. Stirring occasionally to keep all the fruit wet. leave over night
• Preheat oven to 325 f. The next day add the "Next Day" ingredients and bring up to a boil then turn down to a simmer for 15 minutes. Let cool to room temp before mixing in with the dry ingredients.
• Add dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir in quickly all the fruit mixture. Blend well then add the eggs one at a time incorporating in really good. Add the nuts and stir well.
• Spoon into a 10 inch non-stick loaf pan and bak for one hour. The tooth pick test: if it's not clean bake another 10 minutes I used 6 inch paper crumb cake cups that I got from Amazon. It made 11 of those putting in 2 ice cream scoops of batter in each one. Cooked them for 40 minutes give or take. cool on a rack. then baste with brandy, When it is completely cool wrap tightly and spritz every couple of days with the brandy over the course of about 2 weeks. This size is great for gifting.