HUTZELBROT (GERMAN FRUITCAKE)

Dec 13

What would be a German Christmas market without fruitcake and Glühwein (mulled wine)? My colleagues and I would frequently stop by the Christmas market on our way home from work. It smelled heavenly, the scent of all the delicacies wafting from the little booths selling Lebkuchen (ginger bread), cotton candy, candied nuts, Bratwurst, Glühwein, and so much more.
That was many years ago. I still love the Christmas markets, but now I spend more time admiring the artesian crafts, as most of the foods are made with ingredients I chose not to eat anymore for health reasons. If I’m lucky, I can find a good quality Glühwein made without sugar and I’ll give it a try just for the occasion. The other delicacies I have to make myself, such as this fruitcake. I found this delicious German recipe for Hutzelbrot and simply substituted a couple of the ingredients to fit my diet. The fresh apple makes this fruitcake perfectly soft and juicy. It always disappears from my kitchen overnight at least I don’t have to worry that it’ll end up a brick that gets regifted for years!

MAKES 4 SMALL FRUITCAKES

INGREDIENTS
1 large pink lady apple or other tart apple
5 dried figs, stems removed
14 dried cranberries
3 dried apricots
3 dried prunes
1/3 cup raisins
1 cup of your favorite nuts - walnuts, cashew nuts, hazelnuts, or almonds (I used 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup cashew nuts)
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup honey or date syrup (Can be substituted with maple syrup for a paleo diet)
1/2 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp fresh grated lemon zest
1 tsp fresh grated orange zest
1/2 tsp homemade gingerbread spice mix

1 1/2 cups almond flour
2 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
32 whole almonds for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS
Peel and core the apple and grate, using a coarse grater.

Cut all of the dried fruit and nuts to roughly the size of the raisins.

Add the apple, dried fruit, nuts, honey, salt, and spices to a sealable bowl. Mix well and store in a cool place or refrigerate overnight.

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil and add the almonds. After 60 seconds, carefully pour the almonds into a strainer. Squeeze the almond by the round end to remove the peel. Discard the peel.

Preheat the oven at 320° F / 160° C.

In a bowl, mix the almond flour, coconut flour, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the fruit mixture and knead the dough thoroughly. Form four small loaves of fruitcake and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Decorate the fruitcakes with the blanched almonds.

Bake at 320° F / 160° C for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

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