Recipe: Doc's Fruit Cake and No Bake Fruit Cake for Sandy

DOC'S FRUIT CAKE

To start the fruitcakes, take a large mixing bowl.

In it, mix together well:
1 lb crushed graham crackers
1 lb raisins
1 pint mixed candied fruit
4 cups walnuts, pecans or other such nuts, roughly chopped

Then, in a saucepan add:
3/4 cup milk

Scald gently and stir in:
1 lb marshmallows

Mix till smooth, then dribble into the graham cracker mixture, mixing gently but well until the marshmallow and milk is evenly distributed throughout.

Next, line your mold with a sheet of plastic wrap. Small loaf pans, bowl or decorative aspic molds all work well.

Pack the fruitcake mix firmly into the mold. If you like, you can decorate the bottom of the mold, (which will be the top of the fruitcake), with glace fruit and/or a few whole nut meats before you add the fruitcake mix. Next, bring up the plastic wrap around the cake to make an air tight seal. Do the same with the rest of the fruitcake mix. When you are done you should have a half dozen or so individual fruitcakes. Now wrap each fruitcake in a layer of freezer wrap or heavy aluminum foil and seal.

Store the fruitcakes in a cool dark place that is safe from vermin. Every couple weeks, open the fruitcakes, sprinkle on an ounce or so of sweet sherry, rum, brandy or whiskey, and reseal. These are best after they have had a chance to age for at least a couple months, and as long as six to eight months of age is fine.

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NO-BAKE FRUITCAKE

FRUITS AND NUTS:
16 oz. candied pineapple
16 oz. candied cherries
8 oz. candied citron
8 oz. chopped dates (or whole dates and you chop them; remove pits)
1 (15 oz.) box raisins (approximate weight; an ounce or two one way or the other doesn't matter)
1 (15 oz.) box golden raisins (ditto)
1 (10 oz.) box currants (ditto)
12 oz. chopped walnuts (ditto)
8 oz. chopped pecans or -blanched- slivered almonds, or a combination (ditto)
LIQUIDS:
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup strawberry preserves
2 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk (non-fat is ok)
DRY INGREDIENTS:
l lb. graham crackers
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Put fruits (and their syrup) and nuts into a big bowl (I use a big salad bowl; a stock pot would also work; Mama used a dishpan.) and break up any stuck-together clumps. Use your hands.

Put the graham crackers in the food processor, one inner-seal package at a time, and process until they are ground as finely as flour. No lumps! Dump into another bowl. Add spices and mix.

Pour the dry ingredients on the fruit and "toss" so the fruit pieces are dusted on all sides. Again, use your hands. Pour on liquids and mix well (with hands) until no dry graham cracker powder remains. If needed, add more liquid (evaporated milk, orange juice concentrate, or jam).

Pack into prepared tins, pressing firmly. Don't worry; it will all fit even though it seems the tins will be too small. The cake will be sticky, but all the moisture will be absorbed.

Refrigerate 2 days and then start dousing with rum or brandy. Omit the booze if you prefer. Store in refrigerator.

Yields 10 pounds (2 tins 8-inches in diameter).

NOTES FROM SOURCE:
For a 2-lb. batch, use 1/3 lb. graham crackers (one inner-seal pack) and cut the fruit down to 4 oz. of each flavor and adjust the other ingredients accordingly.

If you like another combination of fruits or nuts (but not peanuts), certainly, feel free to alter as you prefer. Make sure you have approximately the total weight of approximately 90 oz. of fruit and 20 oz. of nuts. (My mother is, doubtless, shaking her head that I am so loosy-goosy with this recipe.)

The original recipe called for a 4-oz. can of flaked coconut, but I omit this as it is high in saturated fat. You may not care for the taste or texture of coconut. (My family and I don't, so the coconut is not missed on two counts!)

You can buy blanched almonds or you can make them yourself.