Here we go again … Grammy had multiple recipes for fruitcake, so we picked the two most likely and made sure they had all of the ingredients included. As you recall, sometimes Grammy didn’t bother to write things down on recipe cards because she already knew how to make the dish. Mom always made Recipe I, but Recipe II sounds good. That is, if you like fruitcake.

Generally, both Mom and Grammy would make these in early November. They would brush the finished fruitcakes with rum or bourbon, wrap them in kitchen towels, and put them away in a covered ceramic crock. Every couple of weeks, they would unwrap them, bathe them with spirits again, rewrap them and put them away. By Christmas, the cakes were lethal.

One last tip: Mom always made this in the biggest bowl she had on hand, or went to the local hardware store and bought a brand-new plastic dishpan to mix the cake batter in. You’re gonna need a bigger bowl.

Recipe I

• 1 stick butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 5 eggs, separated
• 1 ½ cups molasses
• ½ cup tart jelly (Grammy always used currant jelly)
• 2 cups dried currants
• 2 cups raisins
• 2 cups chopped nuts
• ½ cup chopped dates
• ½ cup orange peel
• ½ cup lemon peel
• 1 cup candied cherries
• 1 cup chopped citron
• 1 cup chopped dried figs
• 8 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup grape juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder

Mix sugar, butter, egg yolks, molasses, and tart jelly. Add half the flour to baking powder and spices. Dredge fruit and nuts in the remaining flour. Combine sugar mixture with flour and fruit. Beat well, then add egg whites. Pour into loaf or tube pans and let rest for 1-2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; bake cakes for 1 hour.

By the time Mom had finished soaking the cake in booze for a month, it didn’t need much decoration. If you’re serving it uncured, so to speak, you might want to brush it with a shiny glaze (maybe melted apricot jam?), and make sure it’s cooled at least overnight before you try to slice it.

Recipe II

• 1 stick butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 5 eggs, separated
• 1 cup damson plum jelly
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups dried currants
• 2 cups raisins
• 1 cup chopped dried dates
• 1 cup chopped dried figs
• 2 cups pecans
• 2 cups chopped or slivered almonds
• ½ cup orange peel
• ½ cup lemon peel
• 1 cup chunk pineapple
• 1 cup chopped citron
• 1 cup candied cherries
• 8 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup grape juice
• ½ cup brandy or rum

Soak currants, raisins, dates and figs in grape juice and brandy or rum for at least 3 hours. Next, mix all ingredients in order. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Pour batter into loaf or tube pans and bake at 250 degrees for at least 2 hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.