This is a very old recipe, that my Aunt Isabel (born 1900) used to make every year at Christmas. She made it for as long as I can remember. I was told it was a Methodist tradition. It is a dense, somewhat dry fruitcake, with chocolate bits in it. It is supposed to be sliced very thin.
Well... I updated the recipe. I put the ingredients in order and gave better directions. The first time I made it, I was not doing it very smoothly, in fact, it was a disaster! The second time, I actually knew what to do, so here is what I've learned, and I also posted pictures.
Stir in other ingredients one at a time, first the dates, then pecans, then cherries, and last the chocolate chips.
06Make sure to stir thoroughly after each addition.
07Pour into greased loaf pan, I used Pam and then lined with parchment paper.
08Bake 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. (I baked it for 1 3/4 hours).
09Let it rest and cool! The first time I tried to take it out of the pan -- I cannot begin to tell you of the mess I made. Then I decided it was not done, as I had only baked it 1 1/4 hours, so I tried to stuff it pack into the pan. That was not easy, but I did it, baked it another hour, and pried it out after letting it cool. It was ugly all the way around, but very good! So good that I am making lots more for sharing.