Last Updated on December 15, 2016
Fruitcake has gotten a bad rep. Now don’t get me wrong! I’ve ignored fruitcake most of my life. I’m personally not a fan of citron or candied fruits. To me, fruitcake was just the joke of the holidays. That is, until Barbara’s Fruitcake came on the scene. Barbara! Where’ve ya been all my life?!?
A friend of mine watched an episode on the Food Network and they featured Bailey’s Mills Bed & Breakfast, located in Reading, Vermont, where they make and serve Barbara’s delicious fruitcake. She said that people came from all over to get it – even people who typically hated fruitcake.
So, my friend and I decided we would try the recipe. My eyes were opened. I fell in love with this stuff. We started making mini loaves to give away as gifts. When the Christmas season would roll around, I’d have friends and family ask, “So, are you making THE FRUITCAKE?” They loved it.
Of course, this year, I HAD to come up with a way to enjoy it. I tried making it grain free, but it was an epic failure. I turned the flop into fruitcake bread pudding just to salvage all the work I did! My apologies, SCD and GAPS friends, that I couldn’t pull it off – but the gluten free version worked like a charm and since I can tolerate it, happy days are here again!
This fruitcake is made using dried fruits, not candied. It’s not too sweet, perfect with a cup of tea (or coffee) and my son and I slather it with butter…
(Shared on Allergy Free Thursday)
- FRUIT MIXTURE:
- 6 oz. dried apricots, chopped
- 6 oz. prunes, chopped
- 6 oz. Medjool dates, chopped
- 6 oz. raisins
- 6 oz. dried cherries
- ⅓ cup port
- ⅓ cup Triple Sec
- 1 tablespoon Brandy
- ¼ cup apple juice (or any fruit-sweetened juice)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- NUTS:
- 1½ cups pecans, coarsely chopped
- DRY INGREDIENTS:
- 2½ cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon mace
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup coconut palm sugar
- 5 large eggs
- In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients listed under "FRUIT MIXTURE" and allow to stand overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350F. (If using metal pans as I do, preheat to 325F.)
- Prepare 4 mini loaf pans. Grease pans then line long sides and bottoms with parchment paper. (Like I do in Yummy Grain Free Bread.)
- Whisk together all dry ingredients (GF flour mix through baking powder).
- Cream together butter and coconut palm sugar in a large mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating until smooth. (Scrape sides down once or twice then beat again.)
- Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Add nuts to the fruit mixture and mix well.
- Scoop batter into large bowl with fruit and nut mixture. Mix together by hand, folding the batter into the fruit and nuts.
- Scoop into prepared loaf pans, filling to the top, and bake 40-45 minutes.
- Turn oven down to 300 and bake another 15 minutes. Allow to cool.
- Keep refrigerated.
