"Don't Call It Fruitcake" Bites

A recipe adapted from NYT Cooking, Good Fruitcake by Amanda Hesser
To quote Amanda:

The ridicule that most fruitcakes face has everything to do with bad recipes, which skimp on fruit and load on the batter. In a good fruitcake the batter should barely be perceptible, acting merely as adhesive to bind the fruit and nuts. Broken down into its parts, a good fruitcake contains ingredients that most people love: plump dates, candied cherries, almond extract, pecans, walnuts and sugar. And when it comes out of the oven, it is showered in whiskey. This is by no means an inexpensive cake to make, and that is largely why it became a traditional gift. It is a cake that you wouldn't make for yourself. It is a treat.

Well, why NOT make it for ourselves? We could all use a treat these days.
My special challenge is that my big oven is broken. I'm baking in a toaster oven.
I halved Amanda's recipe and didn't bother with the last step (didn't have ingredients).

Mixing. I got that electric beater from my grandmother in 1976 or so.

I used an ice cream scoop to pack the dough mixture into the cups

Maybe a bit too crispy on top, next time I'll cover with foil at 30 minute marker.

"Don't Call It Fruitcake" Bites

YIELD 11-12 small "cupcake" size bites

INGREDIENTS

• 11-12 cupcake or souffle cups (depends upon size of muffin pan)
• 8oz pitted Medjool dates or 12oz dates coated with walnuts, chopped 
• 20oz total assortment of dried fruit, chopped  suggested: apricots, cherries, raisins, papaya, figs, prunes
• 1/2 cup chopped candied orange peel

• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon double acting baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 2 eggs
• 1 tb brandy
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup shelled pistachios
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup shelled pecans or walnuts

• White corn syrup
• ⅓ cup Armagnac, bourbon or whiskey

PREPARATION 

• Heat oven to 275 degrees. 
• Coarsely chop dried fruit, final measure (dates plus others) is 3 cups. 
• Combine fruit in a bowl with orange peel. 
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. 
• Sift this over fruit. With your hands, toss to coat. 

• In medium bowl, beat eggs until frothy. 
• Beat in sugar, then almond extract. 
• Pour over fruit. 
• With wooden spoon, mix well. 
• Fold in nuts, mix until coated with batter. 

• Divide mixture into paper cups, packing the cups solidly - fill in open spaces. 
• Bake for about 65 minutes, until tops of bites look dry but not brown. 
• When bites are done, let stand for 5 minutes.
• While bites are still hot, brush lightly with corn syrup. 
• Let cool 30 minutes, then spoon Armagnac on tops. 

If not eating right away, wrap bites in plastic wrap. They will keep for two months in refrigerator. 

If storing, sprinkle with more Armagnac an hour before serving.