BY FRAN FRY

One of the most controversial Christmas food treats is fruit cake. You either love it, or hate it. Some have even been known to use them as door stops. There is no in between.

A friend got this fruit cake recipe from a Pet Milk display shelf more than 40 years ago and says it's a winner. He made a couple of changes in preparation, using loaf pans instead of the suggested angel food cake pan.

He modernized the recipe, using a food processor to grind the graham crackers, claiming a blender just won't work. He also warns that the cheaper store-brand graham crackers are dryer and need more liquid.

If you plan on using a fruit cake mix instead of candied fruit, don't use this recipe; go buy one.

NO-BAKE FESTIVE FRUIT CAKE — Ingredients: 1 cup Pet Evaporated Milk; 4 cups miniature marshmallows; 6 tablespoons orange juice; 8 dozen 2 1/2 inch square graham crackers; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 2 cups seedless raisins (1/2 dark and 1/2 light is best); 1 cup finely chopped dates; 1 1/2 cups broken walnuts; 1 1/2 cups candied fruit (red and green cherries and pineapple slices only).

Method: Line with waxed paper, bottom, side and tube of an angel food pan (as I said he uses loaf pans). Put evaporated milk, marshmallows and orange juice in a bowl and let stand until needed.

Roll the graham crackers into fine crumbs, place them in a large bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly and transfer to a large container for final mixing.

Add milk mixture. Mix first with a spoon then with hands until all crumbs are moistened. Press firmly into pan and top with whole halves of walnuts and whole colored candied cherries and pineapple wedges cut to half thickness. Cover tightly. Chill in refrigerator for 2 days before slicing. Must be stored in a cool place until used up.

Cut this recipe in half for 1 large loaf pan (2 1/4 pounds of fruit cake).

I love cookies at Christmas time and, if you were to bake only two for the holidays, I would recommend my mom's sugar and spice cookie, and wife Judy's grandmother's Noni cookies.

My mom, the late Bea Fry, made the best sugar and spice cookies that you ever tasted. Wife Judy has kicked it up a notch with one minor change, unrefined, turbanado or raw sugar.

Mom's recipe (December's Recipe of the Month) has been a favorite for more years than I care to remember and the last time we made a batch, we rolled the cookie dough in the rich, molasses-flavored coarse granulated brown sugar. This is sugar before the molasses is cooked out of it and it is turned into common, every-day white sugar.

You can buy this large grain sugar at health food stores. We found a great buy on the raw sugar at Sharp Shopper in Knox and New Holland, PA, a mini-supermarket specializing in bulk foods, when we were on the barbecue trail in the Dutch Country.

When we used to visit the Caribbean annually, we always brought home at least 10 pounds of the sugar, which is also great on watermelon, fruit salad, grapefruit and hot cereal.

Wife Judy's Grandma, Eleanora Blair, lived to her mid 90s and she was one heck of a cook. She could feed a host of diners with one canned chicken and a ton of delicious dumplings; and they always saved room for her delicious thin, crisp sugar cookies. I know you'll love this recipe.

NONI'S SUGAR COOKIES — Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 1/2 teaspoons cream tartar; 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup vegetable shortening; 1 large egg; 1/2 cup whole milk; 1 cup sugar.

Method: Sift dry ingredients. Make a well in center of dry ingredients and add all other ingredients. Mix well. Roll the dough very thin and sprinkle with sugar. Roll lightly with rolling pin to press in the sugar. Cut in desired shapes and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. These burn easily, so keep an eye on them.

We will be firing up one of our several smokers later in the month to smoke a couple turkeys, some venison and a beef tongue or two for holiday entertaining. I'll tell you more about those experiences in a future cooking adventure.

Until we meet again on the barbecue trail next month, keep your wood dry and your back to the wind.

Fran Fry is an award-winning food writer and long-time outdoor and barbecue cook. He can be reached at frypan@csonline.net or check out his web page fransfryingpan.com.

His "The Frying Pan" column appears Sundays in the Erie Times-News in Erie, PA.

BEA'S SUGAR AND SPICE COOKIES

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. vegetable shortening;
2 c. white granulated sugar;
1/2 c. molasses, light;
2 large eggs;
4 cups all-purpose flour;
4 tsp. baking soda;
1/2 tsp. salt;
1 tsp. ginger, ground;
2 tsp. cinnamon, ground;
1 tsp. cloves, ground;
unrefined sugar for coating.

Method:
Cream shortening and sugar, add molasses and eggs. Mix dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Chill one hour. Make walnut-sized balls, roll in unrefined granulated sugar and place on a cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork and bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

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