I never made Colonial Fruitcakes last
year and sometimes when I do make
them it is well into December but this
year on the day before Thanksgiving
I got my act together!
remembering Martha Scott who blogged
for years at "Lines From Linderhof". She
always made her Dundee cakes early in
November. She passed away this year and
I know is greatly missed by many.
out of Family Circle Magazine back in
1978. The Colonial Fruitcake had one
unusual ingredient which was Watermelon
Rind Pickles. I was thrilled to find some
at our local Hyvee Grocery Store.
this recipe:
Pickled watermelon rind was called American citron in the 18th century. It adds its special flavor to this chock-full-of-fruits cake. Bake this cake at 300 degrees for 45 - 50 minutes, I used a 8" tube pan, 1 5 1/2" x 7 1/2" tin and 5 of the mini 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 1 1/2" loaf pans.
Here are the ingredients: 2 jars (10 oz. ea) pickled watermelon rind - drained, 1 carton (8 oz.) candied red cherries, 1 carton (8 oz.) candied pineapple, 1 -15 oz, box golden raisins, 2 cups slivered almonds (8 oz.), 2 cups chopped walnuts (8 oz.), 3 cups sifted all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking powder, (reduce to 1 1/2 tsp in high altitude)1 cup (2 sticks) butter, 2 cups sugar, 6 eggs, 1/2 cup of brandy, rum or orange juice. (I uses Bacardi Rum and also I brush it on top after baking and once a week for about a month)
I ended up adding a little more flour this time to my batter and I mixed everything in a large pot. The tins were buttered and flour coated.