Brandied Chocolate Fruitcake

Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 32
• 1 cup candied pineapple, diced
• 1/2 cup candied cherry, halved
• 1 cup raisins (seedless)
• 1 cup (if not more)
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 eggs, separated
• 2 cups flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups pecans, coarsely chopped

Recipe

• 1 combine candied pineapple, cherries, raisins, and 1/2 cup in a small bowl. cover and let stand overnight.
• 2 drain the fruit, reserving 1/3 cup . (if the fruit has absorbed most of the , reserve what you can and add more to make 1/3 cup.) set fruit and aside.
• 3 spray two 9"x5" loaf pans liberally with baking spray.
• 4 melt baking chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. set aside to cool.
• 5 cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. gradually add one cup sugar and blend well.
• 6 beat in the egg yolks two at a time, scraping down after each addition. beat in cooled chocolate.
• 7 resift the flour with baking powder and add to the batter alternately with the reserved . stir in the fruit and nuts.
• 8 beat egg whites until they just begin to hold their shape. then add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until soft peaks form. fold about 1/4 of the egg whites into the batter, then gently (but thoroughly) fold in the remaining egg whites.
• 9 turn batter into prepared pans and place loaf pans in a roasting pan (or other baking pan). pour enough boiling water in the outer pans to come about halfway up the sides of the loaf pans.
• 10 bake at 250 for 2.5 hours, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• 11 cool fruitcakes for 15 minutes, then remove from pans. pour a few tablespoonfuls of over each cake. cool thoroughly.
• 12 wrap each loaf individually in plastic wrap or cheesecloth, then wrap in foil. store for 2-8 weeks in the refrigerator before serving. sprinkle the cakes with 2-4 times during the waiting period.
• 13 if you want to top the cake with a glaze (i never did), combine 1.5 cups powdered sugar, 3-4 tablespoons of whipping cream, and 1/4 teaspoons almond extract; blend until smooth, then spread evenly over cake.