Fruitcake with Fresh Cranberries

Hubby doesn't understand why fruitcake is so maligned.

Of course, not many people have tried his mom's fruitcake recipe.

Since I really cannot stand candied fruit, the recipe has been altered to contain only dried fruits and fresh cranberries.  Some of the bad fats have also been replaced with olive oil.  It does make the recipe a bit healthier, but also shortens the shelf life of the bread.  It is best to make a batch and throw two of the three loaves in the freezer to enjoy later.  It also keeps fairly well in the fridge.

Fruitcake with Fresh Cranberries:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups thick hot applesauce

1/2 cup olive oil (non-virgin)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

3 eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp allspice

1 tsp cinnamon (more if using applesauce without cinnamon)

1/4 tsp ground cloves

4 cups nuts (I typically use hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, & walnuts)

   (Try to avoid brazil nuts unless you know they are fresh.

    Rancid nuts really ruin a fruitcake!)

3-4 cups dried fruits like raisins, dates, apricots, etc.

   soaked in boiling hot water or hot adult beverage of your choice

   and drained.  (Reserve the sweet water for making regular bread.)

1 12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries, sorted, washed, and drained.

Add olive oil to hot applesauce.  Stir until emulsified.  Then add sugar and eggs, stir until sugar is almost dissolved.  Add flour, salt, baking soda, and spices; mix well.  Switch to a dough hook and incorporate the nuts.  Add the dried fruits and incorporate well.  Add the fresh cranberries last and stir just until distributed evenly through the dough.  Double line three loaf pans with aluminum foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Put batter in pans.  Bake at 310 degrees 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until a toothpick comes out clean.

The original recipe listed the baking temp. as 300 degrees, but in my experience, temperatures that low tend to make a cake a bit soggy.

Enjoy!

Makes a great substitute for granola bars when hiking, hunting, etc.