Refrigerator Fruitcake

If you’ve ever lost someone, you understand how grief can hit you like a semi-truck out of the blue!

Yesterday, I found an unidentified foil-wrapped item while cleaning out my freezer. When I unwrapped it, I knew immediately it was a refrigerator fruitcake I had made for my mother. She passed away in January of 2022. Just weeks before, she had requested that I make it for her. You see, it was a holiday tradition for her to make one yearly. But she couldn’t hold out to do it anymore. So, I mixed it up and made it into small logs. This way, it was easier for my mom to handle. She could slice off a few pieces to keep in the refrigerator while freezing the rest. Plus, I could share it with my brother, who always looked forward to Mama’s.

My parents started many traditions that are a massive part of my identity. But Mama, in particular, made a refrigerator fruitcake every Christmas season, along with other favorites like her chocolate-covered cherries!

I rarely revisit my half-written posts. But today, I decided to see what I had in there. When I found the draft, the grief hit. All of the Thanksgiving and Christmas memories came rushing to mind. She loved this time of year. I got my love for cooking from her. The holiday cooking was her favorite. She had me in the kitchen as a child, learning the ropes and helping her. Mama loved music and laughter; you better believe both filled her kitchen during those cooking lessons! We had some of our best moments during those times. She enjoyed preparing for her family and loved for all of us to gather at her house.

Food and cooking can bring people together and create cherished memories. My grief was brief because I was able to reflect on the happy moments we shared. The following paragraph from my old writings especially made me smile.

“Last week, I went into her kitchen to attempt to make a cake half as good as hers. The memories that little kitchen holds for me started flooding my mind. Everything I touched seemed to hold a memory. From the little measuring spoons and bowls I have used all my life to the lessons she taught me there. Where I learned a little about cooking but a lot about life.”

This is Mama’s original recipe. I have added dates and apricots, and I love it that way. If you are up to experimenting, you can try different dried fruit to suit your taste. You need it wet enough to coat the dry ingredients and enough dry ingredients to hold it all together. You can roll the dough into logs using parchment paper or line a loaf pan or a pie plate.

If you press the mixture into a pan, here is a tip to help the parchment stay in place. First, crumble the parchment paper and wet it. Then, squeeze it out well and place it into the pan.

Refrigerator Fruitcake

Course Dessert
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 5 ounces evaporated milk
  • pinch kosher salt
  • 2 (10-ounce bags) mini marshmallows
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 (11-ounce boxes) Nilla wafers crushed
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • 1 (10-ounce bag) raisins
  • 16 ounce jar maraschino cherries drained, patted dry, halved
  • 2 1/2 cups flaked coconut optional
  • 6 ounces dried apricots chopped (optional)
  • 1/2 cup chopped dates (optional)

Instructions

  • In a very large bowl combine Nilla wafers, nuts, fruits & coconut. Set aside.
  • Melt butter in a Dutch oven.
  • Add marshmallows, salt, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir constantly over low heat until the marshmallows are melted.
  • Pour marshmallow mixture over fruit mixture and combine well.
  • Spoon mixture onto parchment paper and roll into logs or line a tube pan or loaf pans with parchment paper and spoon mixture into pans. Press down to pack in pans. Cover and refrigerate.

Notes

Can be frozen. 

 

Apple Bran Muffins

My parents’ newfound freedom after we kids moved out led them on a culinary adventure. My mom cooked delicious home-cooked meals for most of my childhood. But, with no kids, they started going out to eat…a lot! They had their favorites and knew the specials on any given day. The kids and I would visit them often during the fall while Greg was hunting. So, we ate with them at these favorite establishments, too.

One of their favorite breakfast spots had a wonderful apple muffin for breakfast. I have not been there in years. My dad passed away 20 years ago, and I’m not sure my mom and I ever returned.

I’m no a scientist, but I believe food and scents are linked to our memories and emotions. When I smell the sweet scent of gardenias, I immediately think of my grandmother. When I eat homemade ice cream, I remember the many ice cream gatherings at my grandparent’s house when my cousins and I would run around catching lightning bugs. And for some reason, I needed to find this muffin recipe, if only to feel close to my mom and dad again for a while.

After buying apples a few weeks ago, I aimed to figure out how to make the muffins. I researched to see what the ratio should be for muffins and came up with a recipe. I used my apple butter, and the muffins were okay, not great, though.

I needed to find a new recipe fast to use my North Georgia apples. This time, I searched all of my cookbooks, and I have a lot, and the internet. I finally ran across a recipe that sounded like the old muffins I remembered, and they are delicious! So moist, flavorful, and delicious with my homemade apple butter and cream cheese. At first taste, the memories of having breakfast with my parents flooded my mind, and they were right there with me for a few minutes, even if it was just in my memories.

They have shredded apples and raisins that I plumped before adding to the batter. Chopped pecans would also work great in this recipe. Wheat bran is an ingredient in one of my favorite bran muffins, so I knew I wanted it in these muffins. It adds a slightly nutty taste and is an excellent source of fiber. You will most likely not find wheat bran on the cereal aisle in most stores. I ordered a big bag from Amazon, but you can also find it in many whole food stores.

 

Apple Bran Muffins

Course Breads
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 6 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 1/2 cup wheat bran
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup shredded apple
  • 3/4 cup raisins plumped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with silicone or paper liners; set aside.
  • Heat some water in the microwave. Add raisins to a bowl and pour water over. Let stand while you prepare other ingredients.
  • In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, egg, buttermilk, melted butter, molasses and honey; set aside.
  • In another bowl, add wheat bran, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; give it a stir.
  • Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix. Drain the raisins well. Stir apple and raisins into bran mixture.
  • Scoop batter into liners, almost filling. Bake for 17 to 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not overtake!