White Fruitcake – Almond & Pistachio

4 cups chopped dried fruits and nuts of  your choice – I like:

• red and green cherries
• pineapple
• candied ginger
• dates
• golden raisins
• pistachios
• pecans

INGREDIENTS

• 3-3/4 cups flour + 1/4 cup
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp grated orange or lemon rind
• 1 cup room temp butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1-3/4 cups plain yogurt (can also use vanilla or lemon)
• 2 13 oz batches of marzipan (recipe to follow)

Mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt and set aside.

Mix all the fruit and nuts together and add the grated orange.  Mix with 1/4 flour to coat.

In a mixer, blend the butter, sugar till light.  Add the eggs one at a time.  Add the flour, alternating with the yogurt.  Blend all well.

Grease and flour two 8-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ bread pans.

Place some of the batter in the bottom of each pan.  Top with a rolled out piece of marzipan.  Top with more batter and another piece of marzipan.

Finally, top with the rest of the batter.

Bake at 350 for 1-1/2 to 3 hours – or until toothpick comes out clean and the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Cool completely in the pans – then turn out.

To use immediately, soak some cheesecloth in either plain brandy or bourbon and wrap the fruitcake.  Then wrap in plastic and foil.  Store in refrigerator.  Every other day, unwrap and douse with more “spirits” and rewrap.  Cake will be ready to eat in one week.

For longer term storage – wrap very well, do not douse with spirits, and freeze.  Remove from freezer, defrost and then proceed as above with the spirits and wrapping.

MARZIPAN – PLAIN ALMOND

• 5 oz of ground almonds (can use almond flour)
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 egg white

Mix the ground almonds and the sugar in the food processor till well combined.  Add about 1/4 of the egg white and combine.  If still too dry, add a bit more and combine – do not add too much as it will be too sticky.

Use right away or store in refrigerator for up to one week or freeze for long term storage.

PISTACHIO MARZIPAN

• 5 oz of ground pistachios
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 egg white

Proceed as above for plain almond marzipan.

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