Berry Bliz: Christmas Cooking with Honey

Honey's Ice Box Fruit Cake recipe...it's an oldie but a goodie. It's not your typical fruit cake...you know the one that is dry and hard as rock and the one that everyone re-gifts...NO this fruit cake is like candy. I have always loved it when Honey made it. So today we made it together and I 'recorded' the event with my camera. Notice in the corner of the recipe is her handwritten rating...if it's has an excellent..you need to try it!

Here's the stuff you need for this recipe.

Melt the butter first.

Then add a lb bag of marshmallows. Honey says the large marshmallows melt easier than the smaller ones.

Here's Honey stirring the marshmallows and butter.

Grind up a 1 lb. box of graham crackers.

The melted marshmallows and butter looks like this.

Add a small bottle of cherries and the juice.

Add raisins.

Add the graham cracker crumbs a little at a time and mix it together.

Don't forget the vanilla.

Add the sugar too.

Now get your hands in there and mix it up good. Honey says it's better to use rubber gloves. Even with the gloves this mixture is hot and sticky.

Add the pecans.

Take handfuls of mixture and pack tightly in a ziplock bag. Then put it in the fridge or "ice-box" as it used to be called. Wait a while and slice off a bite...ummm ummm good!

Ready to serve!

Next Honey and I tackled Divinity.

Divinity

1/2 c light karo syrup

2 1/2 c sugar

1/4 salt

1/2 c water

Combine in saucepan. Cook over medium heat; stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Cook without stirring until firm ball (248 f). Cook without stirring until firm ball stage.

Just before syrup reaches 248 beat 2 eggs until stiff. Pour about 1/2 syrup slowly over egg whites beating constantly. Cook the remainder of the syrup to soft crack stage 272. Take remainder of syrup and add to 1st mixture. Beating constantly until it holds it shape. Add 1 t vanilla and 1 c chopped nuts. Drop by spoonfuls on wax paper.

The characters

Sugar salt and water in a saucepan

start to cook it.

Don't forget the karo

Candy thermometer ...got to have it. Although Honey said she knew ladies that could just look at the bubbles and know when it had reached the right stage, but she says GET a Candy Thermometer.

Beat the eggs.

until they are stiff.

Look at your mixture...after the sugar dissolves, quit stirring and let it just boil. It will take it awhile to reach the proper temp 248*.

We had to go get the "smack-daddy" mixer...this recipe is not for the "faint at heart"...you need one that can stand in its own stand. Pour half of the syrup mixture slowly(tiny stream) into the bowl with the mixer on a relatively high speed.

take the other half of syrup and take it back to the heat. Don't let your candy therm. hit the bottom of the pan cause you don't want it to crack from the heat. Bring it back to soft crack stage 272*.

Shek watches as it gets to looking like divinity...SO glad for my kitchen aid mixer...my arm would have been worn out if I had to hold the mixer.

There's the soft crack stage...

Pour in a tiny stream as the mixer has not ceased to mix.

add 1 t vanilla

add 1 c chopped pecans

It's looking like candy!

Wet your fingers and start placing spoonfuls of candy on wax paper.

wah-la! It's done...and good. Honey and I no longer dread the making of divinity. For best results for this recipe: you must have fair weather, 2 people make it easier, a candy thermometer, and a mixer in a stand! Next week, after all this good Christmas eating is done...I will start that diet program...who's with me now? LOL