Evening star., 1941-11-10

attractive if baked in q colort1
donor long after the last crunl
By Betsy CasweH
Womans Editor.
Those of you who like to age
| fruit cakes for some time before
they are presented as Christmas
gifts will be getting busy already.
Judging from the requests we have
recently received. there are any
number of forehanded ladies who
plan to give fruit cakes to all their
friends this year and want recipes
for the makings."
They have been kind enough in
many instances to ask us to print
once again the recipes that We have
offered before and that have proved
especially popular. Some of these
are more elaborate than others,
some you may decide will need no
aging, and can. therefore. be made
closer TO Christmas. In any event,
We are giving you today the ones
We consider best in our collection
of fruit cake recipes, and because
of the high cost of eggs we are
including a brand-neW and very
good cake that requires only two
eggs in the entire recipe. 1t is
especially well suited for baking in
colorful casseroles, which add
nice and lasting touch to your gift.
First of all, though, we'll give you
that perennial favorlte-
CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE IN
CANDIED GRAPEFRUIT SHELLS.
Select large seeded grapefruit
of good shape and color. Wash
carefully; break the oil cells. by
grating lightly on fine crater. Cut
a slice from the stem end of the
grapefruit; remove the inside, being
careful to leave all of the thick
part of the peel, and being careful
not to break the shell. You will
find a small, sharp pairing knife
useful in cutting the fruit free from
the rind-remove as much as pos
sible in this manner; then by using
a heavy spoon the remaining men,
brane and pulp may be scraped
from the rind.
Cover the shell with cold Salted
water; bring 10 a boil, cook about
10 minutes. Drain off water Re-
peat the process three or four times,
or until as much of the bitter flavor
is removed as desired. Cool shell.
Put in a sirup made of equal parts
of sugar and water. If a slight
wine flavor is enjoyed add domestic
sherry to the sirup. allow one table
spoon of wine to each cup of water
used. Be sure to use sufficient sirup
to float the fruit. Cook to 220
degrees Fahrenheit very thick
sirup). Remove from sirup and
cool. If the shell is large turn it
over glass to shape.
FRUIT CAKE MIXTURE.
y cup shortening.
p cup brown sugar.
4 eggs.
l cup flour.
y teaspoon nutmeg.
"a teaspoon cloves.
Il teaspoon salt.
2 cups seedless raisins.
y cup citron, chopped.
Y cup candied orange peel,
chopped.
p cup Walnuts, chopped.
Cream shortening and sugar, add
eggs one at a time, beating vigor-
ously after each addition. Mix and
sift flour. nutmeg, cloves and salt;
add to first mixture. Add raisins,
citron, orange peel and Walnuts.
Fill crystallized grapefruit shell
with the fruit cake mixture. Steam
one hour: bake in a slow oven 300
degrees Fahrenheit about 30 min
utes. Roll shell III granulated or
powdered sugar. This amount will
fill two or three grapefruit shells,
depending upon size.
About three weeks is sufficient for
the aging of these cakes. Wrap them
in a cloth dampened with wine, such
as domestic sherry. Wrap them
again in a dry cloth and waxed
paper, then store in a dark, cool
place. Change the wine cloth two
or three times during the aging
| period.
BUTTER FRUIT CAKE.
about II Pounds of Cake.)
IL eggs.
l pound sifted flour.
l pound fresh butter.
! pound brown sugar.
2 pounds raisins.
2 pounds currants.
l pound citron.
| l pound pecans
l pound almonds.
l nutmeg, ground.
| l teaspoon mace.
| l teaspoon cinnamon.
"a cup lemon juice.
a cup canned peach juice.
l glass jelly blackberry, currant
or grape).
!. cup cream.
Wash and dry raisins and cur
rants. Blanch almonds. drain and
cut with pecans into quarters. Cut
citron into thin slices. Place fruit in
large mixing bowl. Sift flour, meas
ure and sift with the spices and mix
with the fruit until we'll coated.
Cream butter, add sugar gradu-
ally. Add beaten eggs and jelly
Next stir In the douy, nut and fruit