Recipe: Chef Tatung’s Sarthou fruitcake

MANILA, Philippines — There was a time when fruitcakes were the most recycled Christmas gifts ever.

People dreaded receiving fruitcakes from friends, colleagues or business associates so much so that they ended up being quietly given to someone else. More often than not, that “someone” also does not cherish receiving a fruitcake, so it is — again — given to another person, who then passes it on to yet another recipient. The standard joke is that the fruitcake just might end up being given to the one who originally gave it away.

These days, however, this hardly ever happens anymore, since fruitcakes have been tweaked and formulated to cater to the Filipino palate. So they do not get recycled anymore. Instead, they are consumed to the last bite and crumb. Which is exactly how people react to the Dark Fruitcake of Chef Myke "Tatung" Sarthou, whose recipe is in his best-selling Baking Simpol cookbook.

Here, he shares his fruitcake recipe:

Dark Fruitcake

INGREDIENTS:

Set A:

1 1/2 cups raisins

1 1/2 cups glazed fruits

1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

3/4 cup cherries, halved

1/2 cup brandy or rum

Set B:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsps. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbsp. cinnamon powder

1 tsp. nutmeg powder

1 tsp. allspice powder

1/4 tsp. clove powder

1 tsp. salt

Set C:

2/3 cup Golden Fiesta Palm Oil

1 cup brown sugar

2 whole eggs

4 Tbsps. molasses

1 cup pineapple or orange juice

1 tsp. vanilla extact

For the topping:

2-3 Tbsps. all-purpose flour, for dusting

Whole green and red cherries, as needed

Walnuts or pecans, as needed

For the glaze:

1 cup rum or brandy

3/4 cup corn syrup

3/4 cup brandy, for soaking

Corn syrup, for brushing

PROCEDURE:

A. Soak fruits and nuts in liquor for an hour or overnight to plump them up. Drain off excess liquid and set aside.

B. Sift Set B ingredients into a bowl and blend everything before mixing in the drained dried fruits and nuts.

C. In a bowl, combine Set C ingredients and mix until frothy and sugar is dissolved. Add in the Set A mixture and mix until just combined.

D. Divide into two greased round or loaf pans and dust with flour. Arrange whole and candied cherries on top, then bake. To check doneness, insert a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. After baking, pour the liquor over the cake and glaze with corn syrup before storing.