Candied Fruitcake
rec.food.recipes/Janie McKinney

This is a fruitcake for people who don't really *like* fruitcake. It is made up of pecans, dates, and candied fruit (no citron) with just enough batter to stick it together. Be careful when choosing your candied fruit, though. Make sure there is a color contrast between the candied cherries and the candied pineapple. I once made this recipe using green candied cherries and green candied pineapple, and it looked really strange!

1 1/2 pounds pitted dates
1 pound candied pineapple chunks or rings (preferably green)
1 pound candied cherries (preferably red)
2 pounds pecan halves
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line the bottom of a tube pan (or the bottoms of two straight-sided loaf pans, 15"x4") with baking parchment or brown paper. Grease the sides and paper-lined bottom(s) of the pan(s) with shortening.

Cut the dates and pineapples into small chunks. (The dates should be cut into halves or thirds and the pineapple chunks cut about the same size as the date chunks.) Leave the cherries whole. Put the dates, pineapples, and cherries into a container large enough to hold all the ingredients and still have mixing room. (I generally use an 11-quart soup kettle.)

Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt; then resift over the dates, pineapples, and cherries. Mix well. (Use your hands for all the mixing: this batter gets so heavy it's a spoon-breaker.) In a medium size mixing bowl, beat the eggs while adding the sugar slowly. Pour the egg and sugar mixture over the fruit and flour mixture and mix well. Add the pecan halves and mix well. (You will be just about up to your elbows by now!) Press the mixture firmly into the tube pan or loaf pans. (If using loaf pans, divide the mixture into two equal parts.) Grease your hands with shortening to keep the mixture from sticking to them. Pack the mixture down firmly or you will get granola instead of fruitcake. Do not fill the pans more than 3/4 full.

Bake at 275 degrees F for 1 1/2 hours. Turn the oven off 10 minutes before the time is up. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before turning out. Remove the paper immediately. Do not pour wine over this fruitcake. It is supposed to be crunchy and nutty. This cake freezes well.