Time to Make the Fruit Cakes

The aroma of fruit cakes!  I remember taking my  Mom to visit her cousins Kay and Betty and watching them soak the fruit cakes in rum.  They were sooooooooooo delicious.    Once they were made they took them out once a week and added more rum to the cheesecloth.  Here is Betty's recipe:

1 1/2 c raisins

1 1/2 c dates, chopped

2 c sugar

5 Tbs, sort of heaping, butter

2 c boiling water

Boil the above for 20 minutes.

Mix the above together with:

2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
3 c flour
1 c chopped nuts
1 shot of rum
1 lb mixed fruit

Put in a large greased tube pan.  Bake at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour.  Let cool; remove from pan while still warm.   Wrap in cheesecloth soaked in rum (sometimes they used wine, whiskey instead of the rum).  wrap good in Reynolds wrap.   Store in refrigerator.

Mom's cousins used to make the fruit cakes mid-November; resoak them with the rum weekly and continue to refrigerate.   Just right for the holidays!!

Enjoy!!