Fruitcake - Friend of Foe?

[Janet H]

I got my first fruitcake gift delivery today which ironically appeared as I was pulling the cheesecloth off my own home made fruitcake. The delivered fruitcake was dead wringer for a doorstop. You know the kind.. a dried out brown brick with no use by date in the cello wrap and I got to thinking about all the great and horrid fruitcakes I've had.

The best I've ever had was a no cook variety and the worst ... well it may have arrived today. I love the good stuff though ... loads of nuts and dried fruit soaked in spirits and served with creme fraiche. Yum. How about you? What are your preferences?

 

[Selkie]

A good spice cake - lots of dried fruit and nuts (no citron!) - well soaked with rum, and properly aged. I like it!

 

[Wyogal]

I use James Beard's recipe (American Cookery), for the most part. I used walnuts this year, as well as raisins, dates, dried cranberries (all soaked in gran marnier), and a container of mixed "fruitcake dried fruit," but I picked out all the green ones (citron). I soaked it in gran marnier and a simple syrup mixed with some melted apple butter.

 

[luvs]

of a few foods i dislike, that's included. toooooo sugary.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Mmmmm, homemade! I remember for "Our First Christmas" my Mom-in-law sent us one of hers. We got it right after Thanksgiving with the admonition to NOT touch it until Christmas Eve. When we unwrapped it parts of the foil had been eaten away by the liquor (I think Mom actually used just whiskey). But once we got the cheesecloth off we still enjoyed every little morsel. I've never tried a real fruitcake recipe - was pretty sure I couldn't follow her act. But it did make a regular batch of a chocolate loaf cake with cherries and walnuts each Christmas till the kids came along. BTW, my vote does go in the "no citron" column.

 

[Alix]

I might be the only person on the planet to have never tasted it. I don't think I've ever actually seen it in our house. Not when I was growing up and not since I had my own home. I have just never thought of it. It sure does seem to be one of those polarizing things.

 

[Andy M.]

All holiday fruitcake jokes aside, I love a good fruitcake. With or without it's being soaked in booze.

 

[Uncle Bob]

6 Weeks of curing...Seasoned once per week with bourbon!!!...My Grandmother's recipe! ---- To die for!!! The Thanksgiving Cake went "Whooooosh" out of da house!
This one will do the same!!!!!

 

[Selkie]

THAT is pretty!!!!!

Oh, and I ate the cherry that's missing!!!

 

[GB]

I love fruitcake. As long as it is moist I do not care how it was made or where it came from. How can you go wrong with fruit, nuts, and booze?

 

[Uncle Bob]

THAT is pretty!!!!!

Oh, and I ate the cherry that's missing!!!

Sooooo!!! It was you!!! We've been very perplexed about where that cherry went!!!!

 

[Max Sutton]

I love fruitcake!

I love fruitcake!

My favorite fruitcakes come from COLLIN STREET BAKERY in Corsicana, TX.

I've also had some great homemade fruitcakes.

I've never made a fruitcake in my life.

 

[Constance]

My mom made the best fruitcake ever until I took over, using her recipe. It's a white fruitcake, with no citrin. I don't make it any more because there's no one left in my family who likes it except me, but I always made it at Thanksgiving, and doused it with apricot brandy once a week until Christmas.

 

[Max Sutton]

Assumption Abbey fruitcakes

I also love the fruitcakes from ASSUMPTION ABBEY in Ava, MO.

 

[licia]

I make a fruitcake every year - at least one. I make it in October so it has time to mellow by Christmas. It is almost all fruit and nuts and no citron either. I've never had a bought fruitcake that we liked.

 

[Michael in FtW]

Well, I actually like some fruitcakes. Like Max Sutton, my favorite is from Collin Street Bakery ... but maybe I'm prejudiced because my grandmother worked there for a couple of years before Dad was born. We have had one from them ever since I can remember (55+ years) and I still order one each year even though Dad passed away 13 years ago. Nanny would get one, wrap it in cheesecloth, and dose it with brandy for 6-8 weeks before Christmas.

 

[Andy M.]

6 Weeks of curing...Seasoned once per week with bourbon!!!...My Grandmother's recipe! ---- To die for!!! The Thanksgiving Cake went "Whooooosh" out of da house!
This one will do the same!!!!!

Bob, would you consider sharing this recipe? I'd really like to try my hand at making fruitcake. If I could end up with a product that looked that good, I'd really be doing something!

Of course, proper credit to your Grandmother.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Andy....I'll give it to Santa when he comes through here on his way North...He'll drop it off!

Enjoy!

 

[Andy M.]

Andy....I'll give it to Santa when he comes through here on his way North...He'll drop it off!

Enjoy!

Now THAT'S a Christmas present!