Fruitcake?

Traditional Christmas Cake (Susan Fletcher says, "This cake will change your view of fruitcake forever.")

Oven temperature: slow (275 degrees); Cooking time: 2 ¼-2 ½ hours
250 g (8 oz) seedless raisins, 375 g (12 oz) sultanas, 250 g (8 oz) mixed glace fruit, 250 g (8 oz) preserved ginger, 2 small cans chow chow preserves* or 500 g (1 lb.) melon and ginger jam, 125 g (4 oz) mixed peel (not being a fan of this, I eliminate and increase the amount of raisins, sultanas,and mixed glace fruit), 250 g (8 oz) raw cashews or blanched almonds, ¼ cup brandy,
375 g (12 oz) butter, 500 g ( l lb.) caster sugar, 12 eggs, 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind, 1 ½ ground cardamom, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¾ teaspoon ground cloves, 2 tablespoons vanilla essence, 1 tablespoon almond essence, 2 teaspoons rose essence, 1 tablespoon honey, 250 g (8 oz) fine semolina, 6 egg whites, almond paste

Line a 25 cm (10 inch) round or square cake tin with three thicknesses each of newspaper and brown paper, then two layers of greaseproof paper liberally brushed with melted butter. Chop raisins and sultanas. Cut glace fruit into small pieces (use a mixture of pineapple, apricot, and quince—avoid figs). Drain syrup from preserved ginger and chow chow preserves and chop finely. Chop mixed peel. Cut cherries in halves. Chop nuts very finely or put through a nut mill. Combine fruits and nuts in large bowl, sprinkle with brandy, cover and leave while mixing cake. This can be done the day before, allowing the fruit more time to soak in the brandy.

Cream butter and sugar until light. Add yolks of eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add grated rind, spices, flavorings and honey and mix well. Add semolina and bet until well combined, then mix in fruit. Use biggest bowl or pan you have and mix in fruit with both hands (it’s much easier than a spoon and professional pastry cooks do it this way). When fruit is thoroughly mixed in, whip egg whites until stiff and fold through mixture.

Turn into prepared cake tin and bake in slow overn for 2 ¼-2 ½ hours, covering cake with paper after first hour to prevent over browning. The result will be very rich and moist. If you prefer a darker and drier result, bake for 4 ½-5 hours. It will not be dry, but certainly firmer than if you use shorter baking time.

Cool completely, preferably overnight, then remove paper and wrap cake in foil. A tablespoon or two of brandy may be sprinkled over cake after it is cold**, just before wrapping. If liked, ice with almond paste and fondant icing. Cut in small pieces and wrap in foil and colored cellophane. This cake can be kept in an airtight tin for a year or longer.

Note: Chow chow preserves can be purchased at Chinese groceries or specialty food stores. The nearest equivalent is melon and ginger jam.

* This is not the same kind of Chow chow the Pennsylvania Dutch make.
** This cake is best made no later than Thanksgiving. Also, I have found that sprinkling bourbon over the cake weekly until Christmas is a wonderful addition to the recipe. This requires wrapping it in cheese cloth and then foil.