Jody Chrz of Bend, Ore., requested a recipe for no-bake fruitcake. She lost her recipe but remembers it had fruit, orange slices, evaporated milk, graham-cracker crumbs and more.

Mona Ehrlich of Columbia responded with tester Laura Reiley's choice.

No-Bake Fruitcake

Makes one 2 1/2 -pound fruitcake, serving 12

1/2 cup Pet evaporated milk

3 tablespoons orange juice or orange liqueur

16 finely cut marshmallows

3 1/2 cups very fine graham-cracker crumbs

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/4 cup raisins

3/4 cup chopped, seeded dates

3/4 cup nuts

1/4 cup candied pineapple

1/3 cup candied cherries

2 tablespoons candied orange peel

In a small bowl, combine evaporated milk, orange juice and marshmallows. In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add marshmallow mixture and mix thoroughly. Toss and knead with your hands to combine fully. Press firmly into a waxed-paper-lined 8-cup loaf pan. Cover top tightly with waxed paper and chill at least 2 days before using. Keep in refrigerator.

Tester Reiley's comments: "A dense, moist, fruit-filled cake, it will satisfy even fruitcake haters. I would use chopped walnuts and pecans for the nuts, and I would suggest using green and red candied cherries to make the resulting cake a festive rainbow of colors.

"The liqueur gives the cake a more adult flavor. I might even add a splash of brandy to the marshmallow mixture before combining it with the remaining ingredients. A slice of this would be [good] served with a dollop of whipped cream flavored gently with vanilla. If kept tightly covered and refrigerated, the cake lasts many days."

Recipe requests

Josephine W. Woodell of Cavendish, Vt., wants a recipe for mushroom soup like the dish that she enjoyed in a restaurant in Tucson, Ariz. "There were eight of us who ate there, and even the one who did not like mushrooms loved this soup."

Anna F. DeLattre of Ebensburg, Pa., remembers the dressing her mother made for potato salad, but the recipe has been misplaced and "No one in the family can remember how Mother made it. We do know it was cooked, but that is about all. I would sure appreciate it if by chance a reader has it."

If you are looking for a recipe or can answer a request for a hard-to-find recipe, write to Ellen Hawks, Recipe Finder, The Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, Md. 21278.

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