Christmas Nut Loaves
Instead of making genuine holiday fruitcakes every December that recipients will only pretend to like, my family has been making these Christmas nut loaves most years since 1987. They’re more nuts than cake although retain many classic fruitcake elements, like the candied fruit. The recipe is simple albeit expensive (especially those two pounds of pecans) and requires arms of steel to stir. These loaves don’t photograph romantically but I assure you they are tasty.
Christmas Nut Loaves
- 18 ounces chopped dates (the pre-chopped variety work fine)
- 1 pound candied pineapple
- 1/2 pound red candied cherries
- 1/2 pound green candied cherries
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 pounds pecans
- Cut up pineapples and dates. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and mix with the fruit. Beat eggs and add sugar. Combine with the fruit mixture. Add nuts and mix.
- For a tube pan or four 9"x5"x2" loaf pans, grease pan(s) and line with parchment paper. Grease the paper, too. If using tube pan, bake at 275° for 1 hour and 15 minutes. If using larger loaf pans, bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Alternately, you can use eight, small (5 3/4"x3"x2 1/8") loaf pans and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. (This is my favorite option because you can give the loaves as convenient holiday gifts.)