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Paradise and Pennant Candied Fruit

Amish Friendship Fruitcake Bread

Amish Friendship Fruitcake Bread is made the old-fashioned way, by soaking or wrapping the bread in cheesecloth that has been soaked in brandy or Whiskey. The longer the bread is wrapped in the brandy soaked cheesecloth, the more pronounced the flavor will be. This fantastic bread is made with Paradise Fruit, Old English Fruit and Peel Mix.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• ½ cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• 1 small box vanilla instant pudding
• 1 16 oz container Old English Fruit and Peel Mix Fruit
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup brandy, divided, optional
• cheesecloth, optional
• 1 cup sliced almonds, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325° F. In a large mixing bowl, add ingredients as listed. Mix together until combined. Grease two loaf pans. *We used 2- 8 x 8-inch loaf pans.
Dust the greased pans with a mixture of ½ cup sugar and 1½ teaspoons cinnamon.

Pour the batter evenly into loaf pans and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture on the top.Scatter sliced almonds of top of bread batter.

Bake for one hour or until the bread loosens evenly from the sides of pans and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from oven, let bread cool in pans for 10 minutes.Remove bread from pans and let cool on wire rack until completely cooled.

Pour 1/4 cup brandy into a small bowl. Cut two pieces of cheesecake, large enough to wrap each loaf of bread in. Place cheesecloth into brandy. Let cheese cloth soak in brandy for 2 hours minimum.

Remove cheesecloth from brandy, do not wring out brandy from cheesecloth. Discard brandy. (I guess you could drink it?!?) Wrap each loaf of bread in brandy soaked cheese cloth. Wrap bread in plastic wrap and then foil. Place wrapped breads in a large storage baggie. Refrigerate six weeks and repeat process, using the same pieces of cheesecloth.

After 18 weeks, your bread should be ready to be enjoyed.

A recipe from our Guest blogger, Lynn Huntley.