Brit-Speak: Food --and Carol's light fruitcake

[justcarol67]

Kneasy responding to Carol's questions:
> 'Zest' is the outermost skin of a lemon, shaved off (usually with a
grater). It's important not to go too deep - the white pith is bitter.
> <snip>
> 
> Don't know about the corn syrup, it's not something we use much over
> here. Worth experimenting, I'd think. But it does need to be fairly
viscous. The recipe says 6 tbsp - but that's almost impossible to
measure accurately;
> half the syrup stays on the spoon! So  most add another spoon or two
just to make sure.
> 
> That's what I like about cooking, within limits you can do what you
like.

Carol:
Yes, unlike potions! I always adapt the pumpkin pie recipe on the
Libby's pumpkin can to the spices I have on hand. Works beautifully.
My brother-in-law would eat a whole pie if my sister would let him!

As for corn syrup, I just realized that it's made from what the
British call maize and *would* be hard to find in England. In fact,
I'd bet that a lot of Americans don't know about it. Maybe molasses
mixed with maple syrup, which is easy to find, would work for treacle
tarts.

Here's an American recipe, adapted by me from my mother's version, for
anyone who likes *homemade* light fruitcake (*not* the horrible stuff
you buy in a store or through a catalogue). It takes hours to make but
it's worth it:

Light Fruitcake

Cream together
    1 1/4 cups shortening
    2 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Add, one at a time, 7 egg yolks. Beat until
well blended.

Sift together
    2 3/4 cups sifted flour
    2 tsp. baking powder
    1 1/2 tsp. salt
    1/4 tsp. cinnamon
 
Add alternately with sifted dry ingredients
    1 cup apple juice (or cider)

Fold in
    7 stiffly beaten egg whites
     1 tbsp. rum extract

In additional 3/4 cup flour, dredge
    1/2 pound mixed candied fruit
    1 pound whole candied cherries (red and green)
    1/2 pound colored candied pineapple cubes
    l pound golden raisins
    l pound walnut halves

Fold fruit and nuts into cake batter.

Fill 3 greased and brown-paper lined loaf pans about
2/3 full. (Parchment paper can be used in place of brown paper.)

Bake at 250 degrees for 2 3/4 hours 

Note: Place pan containing 2 cups water on lower shelf
during baking to prevent cakes from getting too dry.

Cool. Wrap cakes in cheesecloth soaked in apple juice
(or cider) and wrap again in aluminum foil. Store in
refrigerator until ready to eat.


I usually bake the cakes around Thanksgiving (last Thursday in
November) and send them out as early Christmas presents a week or two
later. Rumaholics could try substituting rum for all or part of the
cider--don't know whether that would work or not.

Carol, interested in knowing whether this recipe is anything like
British Christmas recipes