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| cut fruits are soaked in dark rum for a week |
Believe it or not, I just finished making the fruitcakes that I wrote about last week. They are a time-consuming food. First you have the cut up all the fruits and nuts and soak them in dark rum. After a week of this, they are ready to bake.
Since fruitcakes are sticky, the pans need special preparation. They must be greased, lined with paper, and then greased again. Then the batter is prepared and spooned in. The cakes are then baked in a cool oven with a pan of water on the bottom rack. This keeps them moist over the long cooking time.
Finally, the baked cakes are cooled for hours, first in their pans and then on racks. (In my house, they are covered with dish towels as they cool, to keep the cats away.) When they are absolutely cool, they are brushed with rum, wrapped in cloth, and then wrapped in foil. They sit this way for several weeks at least. This step is called "ripening." The sharp alcohol taste mellows, and the flavors blend. By New Year's Day, these cakes will be ready to serve.
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