Rae Udy

RECIPES: Deluxe Fruitcake and Christine’s Applesauce Christmas Loaves

By Rae Udy

Naturally sweet dried fruits and crunchy nuts combine to create nutritious holiday fruitcakes. These moist fruitcakes look elegant, taste delicious and offer a good source of protein and iron.
Deluxe Fruitcake is a traditional fruitcake recipe and requires a lengthy cooking time. Bake in two loaf pans to share with family and friends.
Christine’s Applesauce Christmas Loaves are a healthy twist on the original and has a sweet, nut topping. This easy to make fruitcake is more like banana bread than fruitcake.
Have a Merry Christmas.

DELUXE FRUITCAKE
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup raisins
1 cup currants
¾ (three-quarter) cup chopped pecans
¾ (three-quarter) cup chopped walnuts
3 cups unbleached white flour
½ (one-half) cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs or soy egg substitute
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup light corn syrup (heat to glaze loaf)
1/3 cup whole pecans, for garnish
Combine fruits and nuts with one cup flour. Mix well and set aside. Cream oil and sugar until light in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and beat well. Combine corn syrup and orange juice in a glass, stir to mix. Add to creamed mixture alternately with remaining two cups flour. Fold in fruit and nut mixture. Mix well. Pour into lightly oiled and floured two loaf pans. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for one hour or until center is done and crust is golden. Remove from oven and completely cool in pans. Loosen edges of pan and place onto rack top side up. Glaze top and sides with hot corn syrup. Trim top with whole pecans and dried cherries, if desired. When set, brush with second coat of syrup. Allow to dry before wrapping in foil or plastic. Chill overnight and slice very thin to serve.

CHIRISTINE’S APPLESAUCE CHRISTMAS LOAVES
3 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ (one-half) teaspoon baking soda
½ (one-half) teaspoon salt
½ (one-half) teaspoon each: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice
2 Tablespoons cocoa or carob powder
½ cup canola oil
1 ½ (one and one-half) cups unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs or soy egg substitute
½ (one-half) cup each: chopped dates, raisins, chopped walnuts
¼ (one-quarter) cup each: brown sugar and finely chopped nuts
In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, spices and carob and mix well. Add oil, applesauce and eggs. Beat until smooth. Fold in dates, raisins and nuts. Spoon into two lightly oiled loaf pans. Sprinkle tops with brown sugar and nuts. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for one hour or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pans for twenty minutes. Invert onto rack to cool completely. Slice very thin. Yields two loaves.