Did you eat mine or have you misplaced it?

lol, I bought their small sample fruitcake and it is ALL GONE!

Shame on you!

What about using regular dried fruit like cranberries, cherries and apples that you find near the applesauce in the supermarket? If they really needed to be candied you could probably dip them in a heavy simple syrup (is that an oxymoron) and dry them before use. I would do it. Send me a slice please :-)

Our Kroger store has much of it in the produce section...any health food store as well.

I use to have a recipe for fruit cake made with Graham Cracker Crumbs, and I did make the cake a couple times, but I can't find it now. Here is a bunch of recipes for a variety of fruitcakes. Maybe you can find one that will satisfy that want.Fruit cakes

My dad loved Claxton's fruitcake and we always made sure he got one for the holidays. All his :o)

Sue, do a search for that fruitcake on GW cooking or deserts exchange. I saw it last night but didn't save it because that isn't what I was looking for.

I should have looked harder in the produce section for the candied fruit. Didn't think of it. I was looking for persimmons, though, and didn't find them so I think I would have seen the fruit. Maybe. Or not. Grrrr. And easier than all that, the bakery might have had one. Maybe.

Those GW searches go on and on, and aren't specific; I generally find what I'm looking for in my History, but I'm not even sure if I ever posted it here.

Imhappy, Here is a link to search for the Pillsbury bread mixes. http://productlocator.infores.com/productlocator/resources/13/PLSB/quickbread.htm Publix had everything I needed, but it doesn't look like you have them up north. You can use either the date bread mix or the nut bread mix. The nut breadmix is the one I find most often.

This is the one I saw last night.

ravencajun Zone 8b TX

This is my mother in laws no bake fruitcake. It is pretty good and my husband absolutely loves the stuff.

Lucille’s Unbaked Fruit Cake:

1lb. graham crakers(or box of crumbs)

1/2lb. raisins

1/2lb. chopped dates

1 lb. mixed candied fruit

1/2 cup candied orange rind(optional)

1or2 sm.cont.maraschino cherries(if you
really like cherries add 2)

2 cups nuts(or more if you have it and
no need to chop)

1 tsp.cinnamon

1 tsp.allspice

1 large can evaporated milk

1lb. mini marshmellows(1bag)

Crush crackers and add chopped fruits.

Heat milk and add marshmellows. Do not
allow to melt completely.

Pour this over dry ingredients.

Mix well and pack firmly into loaf
pans.

Store in refrigerator a few days before
serving.

*If you want to flavor with rum or
bourbon poke holes in top with toothpick and slowly pour a jigger
over top(just one!). These do have to "age" in the fridge
so don't rush it. And they freeze well.
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Bookmark

Pillsbury not available within 60 miles and I for sure won't go that far! I'll use a from scratch recipe. If I start gathering the ingredients now I should have everything by next Christmas.

When my husband and I were first married there was a couple who lived in the apartment under us and she started making her fruitcakes around Thanksgiving to give for the Christmas holidays. Her mom would come to visit and then the fun started. They mixed everything and then baked the fruitcakes. All the fruit was soaked in some sort of alcohol. It was made early so it could cure. This was about 53 year ago. We never received one so I don't know how they tasted.

I haven't read all the replies to your post, but in case someone hasn't mentioned it a friend is making fruitcake from a recipe that includes mincemeat. I buy the jars of NoneSuch mincemeat. Pricey, but good.

I have a really easy fruitcake recipe that used Eagle Brand Milk and a jar of mincemeat if you can find that in your store. If you can't find glace fruit you can get away with using dry fruit that you soak in orange juice or alcohol

2 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 jar mincemeat

1 can condensed milk

2 cups chopped glace fruit or soaked dry fruit

1 cup walnuts or pecans

Stir together flour and baking soda, set aside

Combine eggs, mincemeat, condensed milk, chopped fruit, walnuts

Add dry ingredients, mix well

Divide batter between 2 greased 9x5 loaf tins (I line mine with parchment)

Bake in preheated 300F degree oven for 1 hour, 25 minutes until done

Turn out of tins. let cool completely

Note - I always add extra fruit and a little rum but you could also brush the cake with rum or poke a few holes in it if so desired. The mincemeat is what gives the loaves the fruitcake flavour. I used to make traditional fruitcake weeks in advance but this is just as good and easier to make.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/golden-fruitcake-recipe

I make this one without any candied fruit. I use dried cherries, apricots, cranberries, raisins and lots of rum

Imhappy, I wouldn't drive 10miles! I haven't made this one, but I cook a lot of stuff off her blog (SimplyRecipes) and it is always good. This one is from scratch. http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/patricias_holiday_fruitcake/

I'll add these to my pile. Sherry's looks pretty easy and I have things on hand I could substitute. It might be close enough. I could candy some orange rind. I have some bing cherries in the freezer. Dehydrate them and then candy? or just throw them in? I know I can get jars of maraschino cherries in town. If I can get by with dried fruit I will do that. I'll experiment tomorrow. Even if they're duds I bet I can eat them.

Since you are in Iowa, do you have a Hy-Vee store nearby? If I can't find something at Hy-Vee, I find an employee to ask. They are so helpful. Fareway should also have the things you are looking for. Just don't be afraid to ask for help.

I like to buy a year's worth of candied cherries for the Spritz cookies my son likes. They did not have any at the store the other day. Will try another store. If I don't buy them at Christmas, I won't see them till next Christmas.

I have 2 Fareways and there's a HyVee in another town. I'm not too far from Mason City which I thought would be my best bet. I need to go to Staples and Menard's anyway. I think I'll still try the recipe Sherry posted. I have both kinds of raisins and some nuts. Oranges, dried cranberries. The frozen cherries. I think there might even be half a package of dates in the freezer. Wish I had some apricots. I don't think any in a can either. Maybe I will have to drive to town.

WHEN you make your fruitcake, I'd sure love a piece :o)

If you have an Aldi's they have wonderful dried apricots.

Oh, Aldi's is on the way to Menard's ;-)

I think when you go to a store to buy the candied fruit and you cannot find them, be sure and ask someone because I can't imagine being the holidays and a grocery store not having that item. Chanced are, they are putting them on some display or some odd place that you aren't looking.

I plan to use all dried fruit in my carrot fruit cake.

Sue

unhappy: My dad always made a lucious fruit cake, but he began waaaaay before the holidays so he could doctor it regularly with his choice of liquor (?) and kept it well-wrapped. If you find a recipe you really like and know the ingredients you want, perhaps you'll have better luck another year, or you could even make a test cake during the year. Cheers. ..... Pink

My nearest town with a real grocery store has a population of less than 4,000. They just don't have the space for everything. I doubt many are looking for candied fruit. And way too many people drive to a Wal Mart or Target super store.

So far I have found golden and regular raisins, dates, dried cherries, dried cranberries and several kinds of nuts. I have oranges so will use some grated rind. It will have to do for this time.

Update us on which recipe you are making and how you like it. I am looking for a different one. Probably one without rum or brandy, my husband doesn't like it, and one from scratch, because they stop making the mixes or change the sizes. I am changing over to scratch from mixes. I found everything this year, but who knows how much longer????

I'm using the one you posted

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/patricias_holiday_fruitcake/

It's in the oven. I used 2 pans because the ones I have are smaller than the recipe calls for and I know from experience they are not big enough. The dough is really stiff. Not a good thing on a day when my arthritis/tendinitis is acting up. This recipe dirties a lot of bowls! Next time I probably won't mix two items and set aside. I'll just dump it in in recipe order. I did put a pan of water in the oven with the cakes. Read to do that somewhere. And I'll use the juice from the orange that doesn't have its rind any more. It has sugar, fruit and nuts. What more do I need! Since I won't be using alcohol I suppose I had better freeze the 2nd one. Or eat it right away.

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Well, it isn't like a traditional fruitcake. It's like a cake with fruit in it. Maybe because it's not soaked in rum? Tasty enough, just not what I expected.

Interesting! :o)

when I used to bake...boxed sweet bread mix...candied cherries, pineapple, raisins, dates, chopped pecans...about 1/2 cup each. follow directions add fruit and bake in mini cupcake tins...instead of all water i'd add a bit of brandy...none of the bitter citron, or mystery fruit...

I do not care for candied fruit, but there is a German fruitcake made with different fruit preserves....and I love it! May try to make one this week.

I ended up buying a small one. It's just the two of us and we don't need a lot.

Imhappy, Sorry it wasn't what you wanted. Glad it tasted OK anyway. The other one I posted, Jeweled Fruitcake, does taste like a fruitcake, (the one you couldn't find the bread mix for). To be like an oldtime fruitcake, I think you have to use the candied fruit mix, dates, and mincemeat.

Yes. I think the candied fruit is the answer. This one is good, though. But I wouldn't call it fruitcake. One loaf and a couple of slices left. I'm going to slice the one and bag 2 or 3 slices to a bag and freeze it all. It won't stop me but it will slow me down. Better yet, I'll put it in the basement freezer.

This link is Beatrice Bakery company. I think of it as Grandma's fruitcake company because they make some REALLY GOOD fruit cake and it used to be called that. That's Coming from a person who doesn't like fruitcake, except this companys'. They have SEVERAL to pick from. I buy some for my MIL every year and get some samples for me. Watch the video if you have time. This place is 25 miles from my house too.

http://www.beatricebakery.com/

Those are beautiful! I'll take one of each.