Christmas Festive fruit cakes

Christmas Festive fruit cakes

Christmas Festive fruit cakes

Christmas is coming, but it's still early enough to bake some fabulous gifts for your loved ones - like these colourful fruit cakes.

Makes 8

Ingredients of Christmas Festive fruit cakes

1/2 cup blanched almonds

1 cup pecan nuts

1/2 cup blanched brazil nuts

100g glace pineapple

1 cup pitted dried dates

1 cup (200g) red and green glace cherries

90g butter, softened

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon brandy or rum

1/4 cup plain flour

1/4 cup self-raising flour

1/4 cup apricot jam

Glace fruit and nut topping

100g glace apricots, chopped

100g glace pineapple, chopped

1/2 cup red and green glace cherries

1/2 cup pecan nuts

1/2 cup blanched almonds

Description of Christmas Festive fruit cakes

Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease eight 3/4-cup capacity pudding moulds or texas muffin holes. Roughly chop almonds, pecans, brazil nuts, pineapple, dates and cherries. Place in a large bowl.

Using electric beaters, beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add brandy and mix well. Add butter mixture to fruit mixture and stir to combine. Sift over flours. Stir until well combined. Divide mixture among moulds.

Make glace fruit and nut topping: Combine glace fruit and nuts in a bowl. Spoon evenly over cake mixture, gently pressing down on topping.

Bake cakes for 30 minutes. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool cakes in moulds for 2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Spoon jam into a small, heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100%) for 30 seconds or until warm. Brush jam over cakes. Allow to set.

Store cakes in a single layer in airtight containers until ready to package.

Source - taste.com.au