Day 15: Christmas Fruit Cake {25 Days of Christmas}

Like every year Christmas will arrive sooner as expected. It is right around the corner and everyone is in the spirit of Christmas here. The downtown is gleaming with lights, beautiful decorations. As we walk around we cannot stay from snacking on all the delicious goodies sold there. The aroma of baked cookies, deep fried donughts sprinkled with powdered sugar tantalizes our tastebuds. Every season I love to bake at least one fruitcake and I tweaked it a little bit every time  and I have come up with a wonderful recipe. Believe me you wont be dissappointed. Be creative with your dried fruit choices, you can add the ones you like and skip the ones you dont. But make sure the dry fruits weigh the same in total.
 Ingredients:

1 cup raisins

1 cup currants

1 cup cherries

1 cup dried apricots

 Candied lemon zest

Candied orange zest

1/4 cup candied ginger

1 cup gold rum

1 cup sugar

5 ounces unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1  teaspoons salt

11/4 teaspoon baking soda

4 eggs

1/2 cup  pecans, broken

Brandy for basting and/or spritzing

 Vanilla Extract few drops

 Procedure  

Combine chopped dried fruits and nuts. Add rum,and macerate for a week.

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease and flour the cake pan

Mix flour, baking powder, spices and set aside.

Beat sugar, butter, vanilla extract and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed 30   seconds,and then on high speed 5 minutes

Beat in flour mixture on low speed.

Now fold in the fruit and nut mixture

Pour into pan.

Bake for 40 mins. Check if it is done by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake. If nothing is stuck to the toothpick then it's done. If not, bake another 10 minutes, and check again.

Remove cake from oven leave it the cooling rack. Spritz with brandy and allow to cool completely before turning out from pan.

Enjoy it with espresso or cappuccino.
We are also making an ornament each day. We are learning the true meaning of Christmas during our Family prayer and devotion time.
The woman at the well
Todays ornament: water pail
Scripture: Luke 15:3-10