Donna Wandrey's Virginia's Light Fruit Cake

from the Dark Shadows Celebrity Cookbook

Unlike many people, I never met a fruitcake I didn't like, so I was enthused about trying lovely Donna Wandrey's Virginia's Light Fruitcake from the Dark Shadows Celebrity Cookbook.  It turned out that there were many good things about this particular recipe that made it one of the best I've every eaten.  To begin with, the ingredients were a wonderful selection of candied pineapple, apricots, and cherries, along with a generous amount of walnuts and pecans, and not much else so that the bright taste of the fruit and the sweetness of the nuts came through.  Some butter, sugar (not much), eggs, and flour form the batter which binds the mixture together, and there is an aromatic touch of Grand Marnier to add little mystery and magic.  It bakes in small loaf pans for about an hour and a half.  I watched them closely and took them out of the oven about fifteen minutes early and they were just right.  Ms. Wandrey calls this a light fruitcake to distinguish it from the darker fruitcakes that often include raisins, currants, and citron.  This one, from Virginia, is typical of southern fruitcake recipes and reminded me of the famous Claxton brand that I used to purchase.  Even people who think they don't like fruitcake will like this one and you will be glad you tried it.  I used the flat beater of a heavy duty mixer in the preparation because the batter and ingredients are coarse and stiff, but the proportions are exactly right and it comes together beautifully.  This can be your Dark Shadows holiday treat!