Page 6
The INDEPENDENT, November 1, 2007
Food for Thought
It’s a shame that fruitcake gets such a bad rap. With two key ingredients - rum
(or brandy) and butter - it ought to be a hit.
A good fruitcake is not dry, hard, sticky-sweet, or filled with tasteless, artificially
colored fruit. Fruitcake at its best should be a mixture of fruits, nuts and just enough
rich batter to hold them together. Popular since the Middle Ages, fruitcakes are a
symbol of good luck for the New Year as well as for weddings and other celebra-
tions.
Don’t try to rush, time is necessary. Some bakers begin soaking fruit in rum
months in advance. Allowing the flavors to blend both before and after baking is the
key to decadent fruitcakes. Ideally, it takes several days to make your cake or
cakes. Chop the nuts and fruits, cover with liquor and/or fruit juice, and let the mix-
ture stand, covered, for two or three days. You can store it longer than a recipe re-
quires, but don't shorten the aging time. Then make the batter and bake your cakes.
For most recipes, a full month of ripening is a necessity.
A recipe is only a guide: don’t include ingredients you don’t like. Feel free to sub-
stitute other types of candied or dried fruit and nuts; just be sure that the weight of
the fruit and nuts you choose equals that of the original recipe. Dried fruits cooked
in juice or wine until they’re plump can take the place of candied fruits; home-can-
died fruits are far more flavorful than the store-bought variety. Fruit juice – apple,
orange or a combination of both – works very well in place of rum or brandy, but
changes how cakes can be stored.
Always bake fruitcakes slowly, at a low temperature--between 225 to 325 de-
grees F. The cakes are dense with fruit that will release liquid during baking. Pre-
pare your pans by greasing and flouring them or by lining them with greased parch-
ment paper. When the cake batter is ready, spoon it into the prepared pans, and
tap the pans on the work surface to pop any air bubbles. If desired, arrange nut
halves, candied cherries or other fruit decoratively on the cake before baking. Place
cake pans on center oven rack; pans should not touch each other. You may wish
to cover fruitcakes with aluminum foil for the last half hour of baking. With such a
long baking time and with so many varieties – light and dark – of fruitcake, color
alone won’t indicate when the cake is done. Test for doneness by poking a skewer
or a toothpick near the center of the cake. It should come out clean.
When wrapped in liquor- or juice-dampened cheesecloth and foil, a fruitcake
may be kept for months. Liquor-based cakes may be stored several months in a
cool place. Cakes made with fruit juice may be kept in the refrigerator for short-
term storage. Fruitcakes freeze well, but don’t freeze them until the flavors have
ripened and mellowed. Check the cakes once a week and brush with more liquor,
if needed, then rewrap in the damp cloth.
When ready to serve, cut the cake into thin slices using a sawing motion. To
avoid crumbling, use a serrated knife or other sharp knife.
FRUITCAKE V
1/8 cup chopped dried cherries 1/8 cup chopped dried mango
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried currants
2 tbls. chopped candied citron
1/2 cup light rum, divided
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
8 tbls butter
1 egg
2 tbls milk
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
Soak dried fruit in 1/4 cup rum for at least 24 hours. Cover tight-
ly, and store at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 6 inch round pan and
line with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg.
Add flour in three batches, alternating with the milk and molasses.
Stir in the fruit/rum mixture, citron and nuts.
Scrape batter into prepared pan, and bake for 40 to 45 min-
utes. Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with 2
tbls. rum.
Place a piece of parchment paper, large enough to wrap entire
cake, on a flat surface. Moisten a piece of cheesecloth, large
enough to wrap the cake, with 1 tablespoon rum. Place the
cheesecloth on top of the parchment paper, and unmold the cake
on top of it. Sprinkle the top and sides of the cake with the remain-
ing rum. Wrap cake, pressing the cheesecloth closely to the sur-
face. Place the cake in an airtight tin, and let age for at least 10
weeks. If storing longer, add 1 tbls. rum each week.
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tbls. ground cinnamon
2 tbls. ground nutmeg
2 tbls. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups dried mixed fruit
2-1/4 cups brandy, divided
FRUITCAKE I
3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tbls. baking soda
2 tbls. ground cloves
2 tbls. ground allspice
4 eggs
2 tbls. lemon zest
1-1/2 cups raisins
1-1/2 cups chopped nuts
1-1/2 cups butter, melted
Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Grease and flour a tube pan.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, soda, spices, eggs, lemon rind, vanilla, 1/2
cup brandy, fruit, nuts, and melted butter. Mix thoroughly. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on
a wire rack.
Wrap cooled cake in foil. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons brandy over the cake every day
for 2 weeks.
FRUITCAKE VI
1 lb. candied cherries
1/2 lb. candied mixed citrus peel
2 cups raisins
1 cup dried currants
1 cup pitted, chopped dates
5-1/2 oz. blanched slivered almonds
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 cup butter
3/4 cup molasses
6 eggs
2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup apple juice
In a medium bowl, combine cherries, citrus peel, raisins, currants, dates and al-
monds. Stir in brandy; let stand 2 hours, or overnight. Dredge soaked fruit with 1/2
cup flour.
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 8 x 3 inch loaf pan, line with
parchment paper, and grease again. In a small bowl, mix together 2 cups flour,
baking soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter until light. Gradually blend in brown sugar and
eggs. Mix together molasses and apple juice. Beat into butter mixture alternately
with flour mixture, making 4 dry and 3 liquid additions. Fold in floured fruit. Turn bat-
ter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 3 to 3-1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the
center of cake comes out clean. Remove from pan, and lift off paper. Cool cake
completely, then wrap loosely in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.
Church Directory
N EHALEM V ALLEY B IBLE C HURCH
S T . M ARY ' S C ATHOLIC C HURCH
Gary Taylor, Pastor
Grant & North Streets, Vernonia
503 429-5378
Sunday School 10:00 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Nursery available
Wednesday Service 7:00 p.m.
Rev. Luan Tran, Administrator
960 Missouri Avenue, Vernonia
503 429-8841
Mass Schedule
Sunday 12:00 Noon
Religious Education
Sunday 10:30 a.m.
V ERNONIA F OURSQUARE C HURCH
S EVENTH D AY A DVENTIST
Carl Pense, Pastor
850 Madison Avenue, Vernonia
503 429-1103
Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m.
Children’s Sunday School
2nd Ave. and Nehalem St., Vernonia
503 429-8301
Morning Worship, 11:00 a.m.
Bible Study 9:15 a.m.
F IRST B APTIST C HURCH
V ERNONIA C OMMUNITY C HURCH
Grant Williams, Pastor
957 State Avenue, Vernonia
503 429-6790
Sunday Breakfast 9:00 a.m.
Morning Worship 9:45 a.m.
Children and Nursery 10:00 a.m.
Youth Group 6:00 p.m.
Preschool Tues. & Thurs. 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday Prayer 7:00 p.m.
Friday Adult Volleyball 7:00 p.m.
359 “A” Street, Vernonia
503 429-5190
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Sunday Worship Service 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m.
S T . A UGUSTINE (C ANTERBURY )
E PISCOPAL C HURCH
375 North St. (Vernonia Grange Hall)
Vernonia, 503 705-2173
Please call for service schedule.
C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST
OF L ATTER D AY S AINTS
Marc Farmer, Branch President
1350 E. Knott Street, Vernonia
503 429-7151
Sacrament Meeting, Sunday 10 a.m.
Sunday School & Primary 11:20 a.m.
Relief Society, Priesthood and
Young Women, Sunday 12:10 p.m.
A SSEMBLY OF G OD
Wayne and Maureene Marr
662 Jefferson Ave., Vernonia,
503 429-0373
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m
V ERNONIA C HRISTIAN C HURCH
Sam Hough, Evangelist
410 North Street, Vernonia
503 429-6522
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Every Wednesday:
Ladies' Bible Study 9:30 a.m.
Ladies’ Worship 10:00 a.m.
Children’s Choir 3:00 p.m.
Family Bible Study 7:00 p.m.