I made a stupid mistake when I printed a request for icebox fruitcake two weeks ago. As Jerry Brinegar pointed out in an e-mail, I already had such a recipe. It was published 2003, and is still available online in the Recipe Swap Archive at www.journal
now.com.
When Betsy Huie of Clemmons called with this request the other week, I did check the archive. My stupidity came in searching only for the word "icebox." Brinegar's recipe is listed under Refrigerator Fruitcake, one of several alternate names for a fruitcake that is not baked.
But I'm glad for the mistake. A couple of the responses to the recent request revealed some shortcuts.
Almost all unbaked fruitcakes combine graham-cracker crumbs, marshmallows and some kind of milk to create a dense cake.
I immediately noticed something different about Kay Anderson's recipe. It has just five ingredients, compared with the 10 in the recipe printed in 2003. And it does away with all the spices -- no cinnamon, nutmeg, nothing.
But what really makes this recipe different is that it uses marshmallow creme instead of marshmallows.
Most icebox fruitcakes require melting the marshmallows on the stove, usually with butter, milk or both. The melting action releases the marshmallows' stickiness to help hold all the other fruitcake ingredients together.
No cooking is required when using marshmallow creme. It's already plenty sticky.
Anderson's shortcut version, as well as a similar recipe sent in by Judy Pozniak, can be assembled in about 5 minutes with no cooking.
Now that's a quick fruitcake, even if it does have to be stored for a while before it's ready to eat.
Mary Snyder's recipe, inherited from her mother, reveals another trick for holding everything together without using the stove: a box of lemon gelatin is mixed in with the marshmallows and other ingredients.
I also received a few other interesting versions. Judy Lundren's uses the stovetop method, but includes coconut. It also has candied pineapple, as does Tony Hamby's and several other versions, in addition to candied cherries, raisins and nuts.
Here is Kay Anderson quick icebox fruitcake.
A cup of raisins may be added if desired.
1 pound graham crackers (crushed into crumbs)
1 14-ounce can sweetened
condensed milk
1 7-ounce jar of marshmallow creme
½ pound candied cherries (both red and green are pretty)
2½ cups pecans, divided use
Chop 2 cups of the pecans. Mix the sweetened condensed milk, marshmallow creme and graham-cracker crumbs together. Add the cherries and 2 cups chopped pecans and mix together. Line a loaf pan with either foil or waxed paper and pack mixture into the pan. Decorate top with remaining ½ cup of pecans. Wrap well and refrigerate for at least 24 to 48 hours.
❑ Recipe Swap would like a recipe for Ham and Potato Salad.
■ Send requests or recipes to Recipe Swap, c/o Michael Hastings, Food Editor, Winston-Salem Journal, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, NC 27102; or e-mail to mhastings@wsjournal.com. Please include name, address and a daytime telephone number. The Recipe Swap archive is available at www.journalnow.com.
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