Christmas Cake/fruitcake from 20's/30's
Ingredients
- 1/2 c lard (no substitutions)
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 c. light molasses
- 1 c. strong coffee, room temperature
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 c toasted flour
- 1 1/4 seeded raisins
- 1 1/4 c. currants
- 3/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Put 4 cups flour in a 300 degree oven until it becomes tan, stirring occasionally. (about 15 minutes) Cream lard and sugar, beat in molasses. Mix coffee and soda, stir into previous mixture. Combine the raisins and the currants. Stir in 1 c. of the browned flour. Stir in remaining 2 cups of flour and salt into first mixture. Then stir in dried fruit/flour mixture. Grease two bread pans (standard size). Line with brown grocery sack/ mailing paper, and grease again. Pour in batter. Bake in a slow oven, about 275 degrees til baked, about an hour. Cover with brown paper toward end of baking if it gets too dark on top. Cool in pan. Keep well wrapped.