Recipe: Ever-So-Easy Fruitcake (tube pan, bars, cookies, mini loaves or loaves)

EVER-SO-EASY FRUITCAKE

2 1/2 cups unsifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 (27 oz) jar ready-to-use mincemeat (regular or brandy & rum)
1 (14 oz) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups (1 lb) mixed candied fruit
1 cup nuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease and flour 10-inch tube or fluted tube pan.

Combine flour and baking soda.

In large bowl, combine remaining ingredients; blend in flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour and 45 to 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes. Turn out of pan. Cool completely. Garnish as desired. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

VARIATIONS:

Fruitcake Bars:
Grease 15 x 10-inch baking pan; spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Cool. Glaze if desired. Cut into bars. Makes 36 to 48 bars.

Fruitcake Loaves:
Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; turn half the batter into each pan. Bake 1 hour and 20 to 25 minutes.

Fruitcake Mini Loaves:
Grease twelve 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pans. Fill each pan 2/3 full. Bake 35 to 40 minutes.

Fruitcake Cookies:
Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake 15 to 18 minutes. Makes about 5 1/2 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Fruitcake:
Prepare fruitcake batter as directed, adding 3 (1 oz each) bars Hershey's unsweetened Baking Chocolate, melted. For glaze, melt 3 (1 oz each) bars Hershey's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate with 2 tablespoons margarine or butter. Spoon over baked and cooled fruitcake.

Makes 1 (10-inch) cake
Source: Recipe booklet: Eagle Brand and Hershey's Dessert Collection