Spicy, fruity, and decadent. That’s what today’s two recipes have in common. Oh, and they also come from two of my family members.

What’s Christmas without fruitcake? And who better to share a recipe for it that someone named Noelle? Yep, today’s first recipe comes to us courtesy of my cousin Noelle Williams.

Sadly, this is the most recent picture I have of me with Noelle, from &% years ago:

Michelle (Dacus) Lesley, Kaye Dacus, Noelle (McLellan) Williams
(with our beloved, late grandfather, C.R. McLellan, in the background)

No-Bake Fruitcake Recipe

1 bag marshmallows
1 1/2 sticks butter
2 cups graham crackers (crushed)
2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts or any nut you choose
1 bag dried fruit bits (your favorite medley would be fine)
2 snack-size boxes raisins

Melt marshmallows and butter in microwave. Stir in graham crackers, nuts, and fruit. Press in ungreased 9 x 13 pan. Let cool until firm. You can speed this process by putting in refrigerator. Cut into small squares and enjoy!

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Our second recipe today comes courtesy of my grandmother, Julia McLellan, again. Here she is from a banquet she attended yesterday at church:

Isn’t she beautiful?

Pumpkin Dump-Cake
1 15-ounce can solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup sugar (brown or granulated)
4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 box yellow cake mix
1½ cups chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup butter/margarine melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well. Line a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment or waxed paper. Pour mixture into pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix on top, sprinkle nuts over that, drizzle butter as evenly as possible on top. DO NOT MIX. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until center is just done (knife inserted comes out clean). Let cool completely in pan.

Set serving tray on top of pan and turn over to remove dessert from pan. Remove paper.

This topping was with a couple of the recipes I combined for this cake:

Mix 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened to room temperature with
1 cup sugar

Fold in: 1 (8-oz) container whipped topping (thawed)
½ tsp vanilla, optional

Cake can be frosted with the topping (if you turn it upside-down) or serve individual portions with a dollop of topping.