Don't Call It Fruitcake Bites 3.0

 

YIELD 20 small "cupcake" size bites

TIME NEEDED: days to soak fruit, at least an hour for baking


EQUIPMENT

• 32oz jar with a tight lid
• 20 cupcake cups

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups total assortment of dried fruit, bigger fruits chopped
  suggested options: dates, apricots, cherries, raisins, cranberries, figs, prunes 
• 8oz Amaretto (or other liquor)

• 3/8 cup candied orange or citron peel and/or crystalized ginger
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour or almond flour
• 1 teaspoon double acting baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup shelled pistachios
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup shelled pecans or walnuts
OR 2.5 cups nuts total

PREPARATION

1. Coarsely chop dried fruit, final measure (dates plus others) is 3 cups.
2. Put in a 32oz jar and add liquor.
3. Let soak 2 to 3 days, turning and shaking jar periodically.
4. Keep rotating that jar!
5. Heat oven to 300 degrees.
6. Combine fruit in a bowl with orange peel and its candied friends.
7. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt.
8. Sift this over fruit. Toss to coat.
9. In medium bowl, beat eggs until frothy.
10. Beat in sugar.
11. Pour over fruit.
12. With wooden spoon, mix well.
13. Fold in nuts, mix until coated with batter.
14. Divide mixture into paper cups that have been sprayed with PAM.
    (you can place the cups directly on a cookie sheet, no need for a muffin tin)
15. Bake for about 60 minutes, until tops of bites look dry but not brown.
16. When bites are done, let stand for 5 minutes.

If not eating right away, wrap bites in plastic wrap. They will keep for two months in refrigerator.
If storing, sprinkle with more liquor an hour before serving (optional, I haven't ever bothered).

Previous versions of this recipe, with links to sources:

2.0 from 1/3/2022

1.0 from 3/21/2020

Linking up with:
Is This Mutton

Shelbee On the Edge

"Don't Call It Fruitcake" Bites 2.0

My recipes are always morphing.
The big upgrade here is soaking the dried fruit in liquor. For days!
Got the tip from a recipe in the LA Times. Then I carried on with the original Bites proportions.

(The original version is here)

"Don't Call It Fruitcake" Bites

YIELD 11-12 small "cupcake" size bites
TIME NEEDED: days to soak fruit, at least an hour for baking


INGREDIENTS

• 48oz jar with a tight lid
• 11-12 cupcake or souffle cups (depends upon size of muffin pan)

• 8oz pitted Medjool dates or 12oz dates coated with walnuts, chopped OR 8oz yellow raisins
• 20oz total assortment of dried fruit, chopped suggested: apricots, cherries, raisins, papaya, figs, prunes *3 cups dried fruit total*
• 8oz Amaretto (or other liquor)

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

• 1/2 cup candied orange or citron peel
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon double acting baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

PREPARATION

1. Coarsely chop dried fruit, final measure (dates plus others) is 3 cups.
2. Put in a 48oz jar and add liquor.
3. Let soak 2 to 3 days, turning and shaking jar periodically.
4. ...
5. Heat oven to 275 degrees.
6. Combine fruit in a bowl with orange peel.
7. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
8. Sift this over fruit. Toss to coat.
9. In medium bowl, beat eggs until frothy.
10. Beat in sugar.
11. Pour over fruit.
12. With wooden spoon, mix well.
13. Fold in nuts, mix until coated with batter.
14. Divide mixture into paper cups, packing the cups solidly - fill in open spaces.
15. Bake for about 65 minutes, until tops of bites look dry but not brown.
16. When bites are done, let stand for 5 minutes.

If not eating right away, wrap bites in plastic wrap. They will keep for two months in refrigerator.
If storing, sprinkle with more liquor an hour before serving (optional).

Linking with

Michelles Potpourri
Shelbees Spread the Kindness

Bread Pudding

 Started with a very basic NY Times Cooking recipe, used the comments to make it superb!

Bread Pudding

enough for 9x9" baking dish

Ingredients

• 5-6 cups bread cubes (I used cinnamon swirl)
• 1-1/2 cups cream
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp almond extract
• some ground spices (I used cinnamon, ginger, cloves)
• splash of bourbon or brandy or Amaretto!
• 1/4 cup raisins consider pre-soaking them in the booze
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds (or chopped other nut)

Method

1. Spray baking dish (preferably stoneware) with Pam
2. Place bread cubes in dish
3. In a bowl, beat eggs
4. Add cream, beat
5. Add rest of ingredients, stir
6. Pour over bread cubes
7. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, overnight in fridge even better
8. Preheat oven to 350º
9. Stir the mixture before placing in oven (extra: dot with butter)
10. Bake 45 minutes or so, until custard is firm and top is browned
11. Let rest 10 minutes after removing from oven

Linking up with

Shelbee's Spread the Kindness

"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.

The Gluttons Take a Vacation

No, not a vacation FROM gluttony -- heaven forbid!
The first week I was solo. This did not hamper me.

Providence
Staying with Patucci and Mark is always an exercise in gluttony. They are both excellent cooks (and hosts!).
Denden on Benefit

For Patucci: KOREAN RAMEN spicy Korean noodles with vegetables and egg
Split: KIMCHI PANCAKE korean pancake/egg batter, flour, onions, kimchi 

For me: JAP CHAE  sweet potato noodles stir fried in sesame oil with vegetables and mushrooms 

Breakfast array:

The Apricot Scones have Almond Paste in them

#goals

Once Severo joined me, the gluttony got turned up to 11.

Troy, NY
Plumb (no photos)

Barneveld and Yorkville, NY
The Village Diner

For him: Village Giambrotti - Grilled Home Fries, Ham, Bacon, Italian Sausage, Greens, 2 Eggs, Mozzarella -- AMAZING.

For her: Eggs over easy and awesome Home Fries

Karam's Middle East Bakery

Spinach Stick -- spinach, chickpeas, and feta cheese in bread dough

Meat Sfiha -- mini pizzas topped with ground beef, onions, tomato, and pine nuts

Spinach Pie -- spinach, onion, and lemon in bread dough

Pita made on premises

Adirondack Lanes and Diner

My Aunt Bunny presides over breakfast there daily. We took my mom over and met up with:

Me, Aunt Bunny, her daughter Kitty, Kitty's daughter Jade (behind the ketchup), Kitty's daughter Sam, Allie, Mom, Severo

Desantis Meat Market & Deli

Tomato Pie slices for later. I ate mine while Severo toured the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

East Newark, NJ
Tops Diner (under new management and not as great as before)

For him: CORNED BEEF HASH & EGGS with buttermilk pancakes

For her: CUBAN BREAKFAST two eggs, chorizo con arroz y frijoles negros, salsa verde, fresh pico, maduros

(To go, I put the chorizo and salsa on a brioche bun to eat on the flight home. WINNER)

NYC
William Greenburg Desserts -- it's our pre-Met Museum tradition

We didn't get any luminescent cupcakes. Aren't they wild?

Xi'an Famous Foods

Tiger Vegetables Salad (celery and cilantro)
In bag: Spicy Cumin Lamb Burger
Spicy & Sour Spinach Dumplings

Scotch Plains, NJ
Nunzio's Pizza

Two jars of frozen "gravy" to go.

STOP THE MADNESS!

We Went To NoHo and Ate

It was a Glutton get together with Guest Glutton Kim.
Kim was in town for business meetings. Severo Yelped our dinner choice. I got us organized! We were ALL hungry!

Dinner: Tacos Manzano, 11160 Burbank Blvd.North Hollywood, California 91601

King Glutton surveys his domain. All is well in the kingdom.
(Did not get closeups of his Tripas Taco or Chicken Mole Oaxaqueno)

Tlayuda with two meats: Chorizo and Carnitas

For me, Chile Relleno -- delicious!

Quesedilla with Carnitas. Kim was content.

Dessert: Republic of Pie, 11118 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood, CA, 91601

What did we get?

You'll have to go over to the Dessert Safari to find out!

Peach Crisp

Peach Crisp, ala Mode

This is my adaptation of the Peach Crisp recipe from The New Best Recipe by the editors of Cook's Illustrated.

Preheat oven to 375º
Use 8" square or 9" round pan (glass is better for leftovers)

Topping
6 TB unbleached flour (or coconut flour + 1TB water*)
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt

5 TB cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, sliced 1/8"
3/4 c sliced raw almonds (or pecans or walnuts)

Filling
6 fresh peaches, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 med lemon -- zest and juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c granulated sugar

Instructions
Topping:
Mix dry ingredients in a food processor briefly.
Add butter (* plus water if using coconut flour) and pulse 10 times -- mixture will look like coarse cornmeal.
Add nuts with 4-5 pulses -- mixture will look like clumpy wet sand -- avoid over mixing!
Refrigerate while preparing fruit.

Filling:
Toss all items together in a bowl and pour into pan.

Distribute chilled topping over fruit mixture.
Bake for 40 min.
If fruit isn't bubbling and topping isn't golden brown, increase oven to 400º and bake for another 5 min or so.

Enjoy!

Gluttony in NYC, Day 2

It was just the two of us, Manhattan as our oyster, on our second day in the city.

We started with dessert-for-breakfast from William Greenberg Desserts,
within walking distance of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I was determined to see China: Through the Looking Glass and was pleased that Severo was willing to join me.
We scarfed down our goodies as the line became longer and longer.

The China show was AMAZING (seven posts about it on SpyGirl) and then we walked the John Singer Sargent show, also incredible.
I find Sargent's painting style very inspiring.

John Singer Sargent, Mrs. Hugh Hammersley, Oil on canvas, 1892

I was so preoccupied with the exhibitions, I lost track of the fact that I went for four hours fueled by only one coffee and one hamentashen. Needed food, STAT.

What better cure for my hunger pangs than some New York style thin crust pizza,
from our favorite place: Pizza Suprema at 31st and 8th.

Ahhhh. Relief.

I was then fortified to take on more sock shopping at Jack's.
Severo shopped vicariously through me.

Severo loves a good bargain.

After all that excitement, naps were needed.
And dinner:

Lobster Roll, Lobster Elote, Salad, Lobster Mac-n-Cheese, at Red Hook Lobster Pound

And dessert at M'o Il Gelato:

Mango Sorbetto, Limone Sorbetto, random cookies

Happy V-Day Sweetie!

I saw this cake at Sherman's Deli, in Palm Springs. It gave me NOLA memories!

Happy happy Valentine's, my dear. We shall reconvene soon and eat some treats!

YOU are the sweetest treat of all!

MWAH!