Fruit Mix for Baking

The last four years I have not had the urge to bake, cook, or do much more than plan for today and tomorrow. Planning for cookie season and the holidays have been just beyond me. The daily review of the news has discouraged me from doing many of the things I draw pleasure from.

Upheavals in private, professional life, five moves in two years, the great pandemic, and the general sense of malaise has taken a toll on many things.

Now that we see there is a light at the end of the tunnel I feel enough hope to start planning things that will end in more than 72 hours.

So, on with the baking …

This is my basic fruit mix that is included into a spice cake batter to yield fruit cake, mixed into a basic oatmeal cookie mix to yield my special oatmeal fruit cookies, I’ve even cooked it down with a bit of water, added an extra shot of liquor at the end and served over ice cream as a high octane fruit compote. I have mixed this into stuffing for pork loin, turkeys, and have served it mixed into a cranberry sauce as a side for the annual badwolf turkey day dinner.

From Wikipedia:

In food preparation, maceration is softening or breaking into pieces using a liquid. Raw, dried or preserved fruit or vegetables are soaked in a liquid to soften the food, or absorb the flavor of the liquid into the food.

In the case of fresh fruit, particularly soft fruit such as strawberries and raspberries, the fruit is often simply sprinkled with sugar (and sometimes a small amount of salt) and left to sit and release its own juices. This process makes the food more flavorful and easier to chew and digest.

Maceration is the chief means of producing a flavored alcoholic beverage, such as cordials and liqueurs.

Fruit Mix for Baking

A basic macerated fruit mix for cakes, cookies, bars and compote

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Resting time 30 days d

Total Time 30 days d 30 minutes mins

Course Ingredient, Snack

Cuisine American, British, Southern

Servings 8 cups

Calories 637 kcal

Equipment

• Large nonreactive container with a tight lid, or gallon zip lock bag

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 Cup Raisins Dark
• 1 Cup Raisins Light
• 1 Cup Dried Cranberries
• 1 Cup Dried Apricots
• 1 Cup Dried Apples
• 1 Cup Mixed Citrus Peel
• 1/2 Cup Candied Cherries Green glowing ones
• 1/2 Cup Candied Cherries Red Glowing Ones
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans Toasted adds so much flavor
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts Toasted adds so much flavor
• 1 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tbsp Allspice
• 1 tbsp Nutmeg
• 2 Cups Bourbon Only use one you would drink

Instructions

 

• Add all to container, mix very well
• Store in fridge for 1 month, stirring weekly

Notes

My basic fruit mix for fruit cake, fruit cookies, can be cooked down to make a compote to spoon over ice cream.

One can add dried cherries to replace the candied cherries.

One can replace the bourbon with rum, sherry, etc..  Just use a decent liquor, if you won’t drink it, it’s not good here.

I usually start my fruit mix in late October and start to use in late November.  The longer it sits the more the flavors meld and intensify 

Nutrition

Calories: 637kcalCarbohydrates: 94gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 42mgPotassium: 654mgFiber: 8gSugar: 51gVitamin A: 586IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Cakes, Cookies, Fruit Mix

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