In addition to the "bark" making, Grandmary and Grumpa opened their kitchen for another installment of Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen so I could have the experience of making Grandma Ollie's fruit cake. It is always a production to make this concoction, and I now I really know exactly what that means -- and what to do differently next time. As we were going through the steps of Grandmary trying to teach me (and not be in control), and Grumpa trying to document it, there were many "discussions" about what wasn't working and why. The word, "you always used to use X," "we've never done it this way before," and "well, EXCUSE me ...." may or may NOT have been bandied about. All I can say is that it's a good thing no one was videotaping it for posterity because it truly was a sticky situation and we were all nuts by the end of it.
Top photo: Grandmary's recipe card
Middle photo: Two versions of Grandma Ollie J's recipe card - once again missing vital pieces of information/or varying on others. The handwritten card has different ingredient amounts.
Grandma Ollie J’s UNCOOKED FRUIT CAKE
3/4 Cup Milk
1 Pound Marshmallows [try to use the mini ones, the large ones take too long to break down]
3 Cups Pecans [whole halves, NOT pieces, thank you very much!]
1/2 Teaspoon Salt [optional - don't remember adding to this batch]
1 Pound Graham Crackers, [crushed by hand with a rolling pin in a baggie]*
1 Pound Seedless Raisins
1 Pound Mixed Candied Fruit [has to be the neon kind]
Mix the *crushed Graham Crackers, Raisins, Candied Fruit, Pecans, and Salt in a large container. [Stir well so everything is well coated/]
Melt Marshmallows in milk over medium heat or in the top of a double boiler. Stir until the Marshmallows are melted. [Don’t use a spatula or plastic stuff. Use a wooden spoon. Add splashes of milk to the mix if it looks to thick or not melting down.]
Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and mix together well. (Using your hands is OK!)
[Don’t wear latex gloves. Spray your hands down with non-stick spray or just prepare to be sticky. You might as well use your hands, not an implement, because it’s too hard to mix the graham cracker mixture and the other ingredients into the marshmallow mix otherwise. Mix like you would a meatloaf -- kneading the dry and wet ingredients together.]
When mixed, press together into a slightly buttered plate or pan in whatever shape is desired.
[Family tradition is to use a large metal bowl to press it into shape, and then “patted down” until packed tightly.
Once it’s in a shape, it’s flipped out of the bowl and further patted into shape. It’s then covered in plastic wrap, and let to “season” in a cool dry place for at least a day.
Then it’s taken out, and cut down into pieces, wrapped in more plastic wrap and left to “season” some more. Will freeze very well.]
I would think that for ease of shaping, and future cutting/packing, you could use well sprayed loaf pans for a more traditional fruitcake shape. This isn't a cake, so much as it's a candied fruit/nut treat, best suited for an energy bar substitute on a hike, etc.
*or a foodprocessor, but "we've never done it that way, and this is the way Mama taught me so that's the way we're doing it!" Okay Grandmary. We get it.
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