Holiday Fruitcake with Louisiana Pecans

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 pound dark raisins
• 1 pound light raisins
• 2 pounds currants
• 1 pound citron
• 2 pounds Louisiana pecans
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon mace
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pound butter
• 1 pound brown sugar
• 12 eggs
• 6 ounces orange marmalade
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup sherry

Garnish

• Candied cherry halves
• Pecan halves

Instructions

1. Combine raisins and currents with citron and nuts.
2. Sift flour with spices and resift; mix 2 cups of sifted flour mixture with the fruit and nuts.
3. Cream butter until soft and smooth, blend in sugar thoroughly, and add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg is added.
4. Add marmalade, beat.
5. Add remaining flour mixture alternately with honey and sherry mixing well after each addition.
6. Stir in floured fruits and nuts, and mix well until distributed through the batter.
7. Pack into loaf tins lined with 2 thicknesses of wax paper, top with candied cherries and whole pecans halves and bake at 250 degrees F for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, depending on size of pan. Cakes are done when they pull away from sides of pan and are firm to the touch in the center.

Editor's note: Cakes wrapped and stored in a cool place are at their best after 2 or 3 weeks of aging.

Posted by Cookin' Mom at Recipe Goldmine 11/14/2001 5:00 pm.

Source: Louisiana Conservationist - November/December 1991