Christmas Traditions!

[_Jersey Girl]

Thanks, Liz! That was mighty sane of you!

;-)

[_Lucretia MacEvil]

The family recipe I follow is a spice laden cake with currents, candied cherries and pineapple, walnuts and/or pecans. NO CITRON. And the batter includes a large amount of apricot brandy. Then after the cake is baked, it is wrapped in apricot brandy soaked cheese cloth and aged for about three weeks. Every week you unwrap it and put a fresh brandy soaked wrapping on it.

Wow! Recipe, please?

[_harmony]

Christmas on the farm will be a trifle different this year. For the first time in a long time, everyone... all 31 of them... are coming home to the farm.

OMG!!!!! I may sell the farm on 12/27, and move to a one bedroom apartment!

We'll have a scavenger hunt outside (JL and Kayla are in charge), a Wii tournament inside (JL), Christmas in Bethlehem (complete with Emma on top of the motorhome dressed as an angel holding up the star from the top of the Christmas tree so she can be the Angel announcing the birth to the shepherds) outside, Family Christmas trivia inside (Amy), a family picture of everyone wearing their tee shirts from Hawaii (Ruth's the photographer), a video game marathon (Steven), and assorted games as they fit in.

Food will be a challenge, since I am NOT cooking for 33 people for 4 days. I assigned out the meals and told them they need to let me know what kind of fridge and freezer space they need (we may be putting some of the frozen stuff in coolers outside... no ice needed!). It will be interesting to see what they come up with (Christmas dinner is everyone... and good grief, but I only have 1 oven!)

We will be 33 people, ages 10 months to 80 years (Momma's coming for part of the weekend), 3 dogs and a puppy, and 3 cats that we will likely not see all weekend long. I still have sleeping space available on the kitchen floor and in the utility room, if anyone needs it.

[_Blixa]

Wow! Recipe, please?

Sure. This is for two "loafs" (meatloaf sized loaf pans)

1 cup cooking oil
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
4 eggs
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups candied cherries (sliced in half or diced. Save few whole ones to decorate the top of the cake)
1 1/2 cups candied pineapple
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup currants
3 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (or pecans or both)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
1 cup (apricot, peach or unflavored) brandy

Heat oven to 275 degrees. Line loaf pans with lightly greased brown paper. Combine oil, sugar, eggs and beat two minutes. In a large bowl combine 1 cup flour with fruit and nuts. Sift rest of flour with baking powder, salt, spices. Stir into oil mixture alternating with brandy. Pour batter over fruit and mix well. Turn into pans. Place pans inside larger shallow baking pan filled with water and place this on the lower rack. Bake cakes 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Cool on wire rack before removing from pans and peeling off paper. Wrap each loaf in a large piece of cheesecloth soaked in brandy. Then wrap in foil. Store in a cool place for three weeks, each week take out and re-wrap with fresh brandy cheesecloth.

[_Morley]

Blixa’s Brandy Fruit Cake recipe.

Thank you, Blixa. I've printed it out and will definitely make this, next year. (I'm putting it on my calendar.) I'm assuming that one could substitute parchment paper for the greased brown paper. I'm also considering whether or not a little chopped, crystallized ginger might give it an additional bite.

[_Blixa]

Blixa’s Brandy Fruit Cake recipe.

Thank you, Blixa. I've printed it out and will definitely make this, next year. (I'm putting it on my calendar.) I'm assuming that one could substitute parchment paper for the greased brown paper. I'm also considering whether or not a little chopped, crystallized ginger might give it an additional bite.

Yes to both!

Edited to add: Actually it should be called Grandma Laura's Brandy Fruit Cake.