Friendship Cake
(with quick starter)

1 pkg instant dry yeast (Brewers yeast is best - but any kind will do - see yeast notes below)
1 large can sliced peaches - slice each piece in 4
1 large can pineapple chunks
1 large (10 oz.) jar of Marachino cherries (halved) and juice
1 large can fruit cocktail and juice
7 1/2 cups sugar

**Yeast notes:
Although just about any yeast will work, some are a whole lot better than others. Bread yeast (Fleishmans) is most common, but it is not very alcohol tolerant and has a very small temperature tolerance. Several brewing yeasts will work much better and are listed below:
Premier Cuvee (Davis 946), temp 45-95, 14% alcohol
Lalvin (K1V-116), 50-95, 18%
Lalvin (EC-118), 50-86, 18%
Nottingham Ale yeast, 57-70

Cuvee is least expensive, but Lalvin yields higher alcohol
If you use these yeasts, you may want to go to 3 cups sugar every 10 days


The Recipe

Day 1

Prepare the yeast according to the directions on the package. In a large glass or ceramic jar or crock, add the can of peaches (with the juice) and 2 1/2 cups sugar and yeast. Stir once a day for ten days with a non-metalic spoon. Keep covered with a well-fitting, loose lid (let the gases out but don't let air in). A cloth napkin with a small plate on top works fine.

Day 10

Add large can of pineapple with juice and 2 1/2 cups of sugar. Stir for ten days.

Day 20

Add jar of cherries with juice, large can of fruit cocktail, and 2 1/2 cups sugar. Stir for ten days. I use 2 jars of cherries instead of the fruit cocktail.

Tips:
Keep the jar of fruit in a warm place in the kitchen. If the mixture gets cold it will not ferment well. Don't get it hot, however. Put jar in a cake pan of water to keep out ants if needed.
Don't 'taste' the fruit and put the spoon back in the jar.
Don't refrigerate the juice or the fruit. The finished cake, however, freezes well.

Day 30

Bake your cake.


You will need:

1 yellow cake mix
2/3 cup oil
4 eggs
1 box instant vanilla pudding
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or english walnuts are best)
2 to 4 cups of the fermented fruit - drained (to your taste)

Mix all of the ingredients together and place in a well greased amd floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until done.
Remember to save the juice to start the next batch. Use 1-2 cups instead of the yeast.

Original recipe
Banana Split Trifle

1 pkg Oreo cookies (2 stacks) (or store brand of Oreo)
4 bananas
1 c. chopped pecans, walnuts, etc.
1 bottle maraschino cherries, drained -OR-
1 qt. prepared (sweetened) strawberries
1 can Hershey's chocolate syrup (DON'T use whole can)
12 oz. Cool Whip

In a large clear glass bowl, crumble 1/2 of the cookies, slice 2 bananas, sprinkle 1/2 of the nuts, 1/2 cherries or strawberries, drizzle on syrup, then 1/2 Cool Whip. Repeat. On top of the last Cool Whip, garnish with a few nuts, cherries (strawberries) and a few lines of syrup. ENJOY!!

Rhonda's version
Banana Split Trifle

Use above ingredients.
Exceptions:

5 bananas
1 1/2 cups to 2 cups nuts
2 bottles maraschino cherries, drained and sliced in half
2 8-ounce containers extra creamy Cool Whip

In my clear glass bowl, I layered 1/2 of the crumbled cookies (1 stack of Food Lion brand of Oreos), 2 1/2 bananas (sliced), 3/4 to 1 cup of walnuts (chopped) and a whole 10-ounce jar of maraschino cherries (drained and sliced in half). I drizzled on the Hersey's chocolate syrup and spread on about 3/4 of an 8-ounce container of extra creamy Cool Whip. I repeated the layers again. On top of the last Cool Whip, I drizzled chocolate syrup and sprinkled on some chopped walnuts.

You can email me here: flyranch "at" thewhitesfamily.com