Aunt Mabel's Christmas Fruit Cake

It's not too early to be planning your Christmas fruit cake. I know, it's not popular to 'like' fruit cake, but this one is actually very good! Fresh and sweet, it can be made with all-purpose flour or with the gluten-free flour blend given in the recipe below. My Aunt Mabel has always been known as 'the world's best cook' in our family. She's now in a nursing home and is no longer able to cook and bake. It seems strange to visit with her while she's sitting in a chair rather than briskly working in her kitchen. She's as sweet as ever, though, just without the cakes and cookies. This cake can be prepared in advance and frozen for holiday use. Give it a try. . .the recipe will not fail you!

1 1/2 cups brown sugar or honey
3 cups gluten-free flour blend of choice
1 tsp salt
2 cups flax seed gel
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 tsp almond
3 cups or 1 lb currants
4 cups or 1 lb chopped dates
3 1/2 cups or 1 lb cherries
3 cups or 1 lb raisins
3 cups or 1 lb dried pineapple
3 cups or 1 lb walnuts or almonds
3 cups or 1 lb dried papaya

1. Mix first six ingredients to make batter.

2. Work in remaining ingredients gently with
your hands.

3. Heap into four 7 inch loaf pans prepared as
follows: Cut paper grocery bags to fit pans and
grease well.

4. Bake at 300 F for 1 hour, covered lightly with
aluminum foil and then 10 to 20 minutes uncovered.

5. Remove from oven. Peel off liner as soon as cool
enough to handle. Let cool.

6. Wrap in waxed paper, then aluminum foil and
refrigerate. Keeps all year!

NOTE: For the lb. of cherries, drizzle some liquid
sweetener on frozen or canned cherries and slow cook
for several hours until cooked down but not hard and
dry. Or bake in the oven in a glass dish at 250 F.
You may also use dried cherries. If you don't have
dried pineapple fix like the cherries.

Flax seed gel can be made easily by grinding flax
seeds in a coffee grinder.  Use about 1/2 cup of seeds.
Add about 2 cups of water and stir.  Allow to sit for
a few minutes until gel forms.  Use as is or strain out
seeds, whichever is your preference.

Use a variety of dried fruit according to your family
likes and dislikes!

Special thanks to Salina for the beautiful hand-crafted
trading card shown in the picture.  She makes so many
beautiful things.  If you'd like to take a look, you can
find her at Salina's Home Journal. She also made the
pretty little journal in the photo below.