I really don’t know where this recipe came from, but whenever I make it, it feels very homey English country house to me. Maybe I picked it up when I lived in England. It’s a fruitcake, which the British are very fond of, but it is nothing like the traditional Christmas variety. It’s sweet, but also a little savory, with big, crunchy hazelnuts running through all that fruit. And the texture is amazing – chewy and crunchy, a little sticky, a little firm, a little crumbly. I just think it is fascinating.
And to up the English factor, I serve thin slices spread with flavorful, tangy whipped Stilton. The contrast is fantastic. I love serving this as an appetizer – I promise, people will be impressed – and its dark, rich flavors feel particularly suited to fall. As a real bonus during the busy entertaining season, everything can be made days ahead, just waiting to be unveiled.
Weigh the fruits and nuts. Their size and density vary so much that cup measures just aren’t going to get you where you need to be. Cut the figs and dates, and any particularly large cherries, into smaller pieces. The smaller pieces of fruit help bind everything together and make the finished loaf easier to slice.Spray the loaf pan with cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides. This is a sticky affair, and the parchment gives you handles to lift the cooled loaf neatly from the pan.
Kitchen tools, Mason Cash Mixing Bowls, loaf lifter pan liners, ceramic loaf pan, Goldtouch loaf pan, mini food processor.
Ingredients
- For the Loaf
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
9 ounces dried figs, halved or coarsely chopped
3 ounces pitted dates, coarsely chopped
3½ ounces dried cherries
3½ ounces dried cranberries
7 ounces whole hazelnuts
¾ cup plus 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
- For the Stilton
5 ounces Stilton cheese
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
Directions
- For the Loaf
- Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides.
- Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder together in a large bowl. Add the figs, dates, cherries, cranberries, hazelnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon. Toss everything together, using your hands if necessary, until the fruit and nuts are evenly coated with the flour mixture.
- Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl, then pour them over the fruit and nut mixture. Stir and fold everything together until thoroughly combined and evenly moistened. The mixture will be very thick and packed with fruit and nuts.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Press it firmly and evenly into the pan, making sure to fill in any gaps or air pockets.
- Bake for 1½ to 2 hours, until the loaf is deep golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top is becoming too brown before the center is cooked, loosely cover the pan with foil.
- Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Run a sharp knife around the short ends, then use the parchment paper to lift the loaf from the pan. Use a very sharp knife to cut the loaf into thin slices.
- The loaf will keep, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for about a week. It can also be frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to a month.
- For the Stilton
- Crumble the Stilton into a mini food processor. Add the heavy cream and process until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve at room temperature with thin slices of the fruit and hazelnut loaf.
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