By Misty I.

December 16, 2020

December is flying by. I thought I’d be happy to say goodbye to 2020, but 2021 will have its own challenges. One piece of good news for 2021 is that both of my son’s school’s have elected to keep everyone safe and continue learning virtually for the third quarter. Bravo! My husband and I are relieved and so thankful that their schools aren’t taking any chances. At this point, learning safely at home is the best option for them during this coronacoaster.

I’ve been finding myself baking more and more (did I say more?) as we get closer to January. It’s therapy for me. Something I recently tried making on my weekend baking adventures is white fruitcake. If you enjoy fruitcake, be careful as this is addicting. Wait, I take that back. What I want to say is…I hope you try making this and eat as many pieces as you want! In fact, pour a little “cheer” on it, I totally understand.

White Fruitcake

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1 C. (2 blocks) salted butter, softened
• 1 ¾ C. sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. almond extract (measure this accurately)
• 4 eggs
• 2 ¼ C. flour, divided
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 ½ C. mixed dried fruits
• 1 C. chopped pecans

The Order of Operations:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Grease and flour 5 mini loaf pans, and line with parchment.
• Cream butter, sugar, cream cheese and both extracts until fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time until blended.
• Add flour and baking soda and mix just until blended.
• In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ¼ cup of flour with the dried fruits and nuts.
• Add the fruit and nut mixture to the batter and mix.
• Divide the batter between loaf pans and bake for 60 minutes at 325 degrees or until a cake tester shows it’s done.

That’s it, only easy! Please stay safe and stay healthy everyone.