It's Fruitcake season!!!

[smoke king]

Much like my personal theories on the JFK assasination, Mrs only lets me bring up the topic of fruitcake once a year....and that time is now!

I feel for the lowly fruitcake-it is the object of countless holiday jokes and ridicule. It gets no respect!!

But growing up, my Grandma used to make fruitcake that was absolutley heavenly! If I remember correctly, she used to start the process well in advance of the holidays, and if you were lucky enough to get one, it was a gift not to be mocked!

So who else likes fruitcake-that is to say real homemade-with-love (and booze!) fruitcake ? C'mon, you can admit it-your among friends!! And if anyone has a recipe, by all means let me know!

 

[sattie]

Ummmm... it never appealed to me for whatever reason. I know it has a bad rap, but I have yet to try it. Or at least try it since childhood.

 

[PanchoHambre]

I like the stuff.... never understood all the derision

 

[Uncle Bob]

I admit I like the ones we make --- It's a Grandmother's edition!!

 

[Barbara L]

My mom made great fruitcakes! She made both dark (soaked in whiskey) and light fruitcakes. She didn't use citron since it was bitter, but she added more fruit to make up for it. I wish I could find her fruitcake recipe.

Barbara

 

[Maverick2272]

Apparently I need a grandma that has a great fruit cake recipe, cause so far I have never met a fruit cake I like!
So, those that posted that they have grandmas recipe and its great, could ya share??? Pretty please?? With cherries on top??
LOL.

 

[suziquzie]

My Dad's fruitcake is incredible! He starts it about now-ish and soaks for about 2-3 weeks.
He told me which recipe he uses from epicurious.com but I can't ever find it. Next time I go over there I will raid his cookbook and get the right one for sure!

 

[GB]

I have never understood the hate for fruitcake. I love the stuff! The only time I do not like it is if I get a dried out one, but if it is moist I will keep eating and eating and eating...

 

[Lisar]

I have tried many different ones and I just dont care for them. Dont really know why cause I love fruit and I love cake just not together apparently

 

[Essiebunny]

I have a really good fruitcake recipe which I will post later today.

 

[Max Sutton]

Fruitcake LOVER!

I love fruitcake!

I've eaten and enjoyed both Assumption Abbey fruitcakes and Collin Street Bakery fruitcakes.

Sunday, a friend gave me two homemade fruitcakes that she baked for me. She was so glad to discover another person who actually loves fruitcake. Her fruitcake is delicious and has rum in it.

I don't understand why so many people make fun of fruitcake? People say they throw away fruitcakes that friends and relatives send them.

 

[smoke king]

So, those that posted that they have grandmas recipe and its great, could ya share??? Pretty please?? With cherries on top??
LOL.

I'm with Mav-C'mon guys-its the season for giving and sharing!!

 

[jpmcgrew]

I don't like fruit cake either unless it's made with with real dried fruit lots of nuts and none of the gross candied fake colored funky fruit that's what turns me off I also like it with a good liquor like Grand Marnier or nut liquor etc.

 

[lifesaver]

Mmmmm! I LOVE FRUIT CAKE. Yummy!

 

[Katie H]

Count me as a fruitcake lover, too. Buck always thought fruitcake was good to use as a doorstop. He didn't care for it, no matter how it was made, moist or not. Booze or not. Oh, well. I ate his portion.

 

[ronjohn55]

We make some every year. It started as just a "fun" project. Now we get yearly requests. :boggle:

Other than the candied cherries on top though, we don't use the "fruitcake fruit" they sell at the store, just things like raisins, dried cranberries, etc.

Then we drown it in a mix of bourbon and Polish fruit brandies for a few weeks.

 

[Essiebunny]

Fruit Cake


Double ingredients and bake in 3 small loaf pans 1 1/2 to 2 hours

1/2 cup dates, chopped
1 cup Brazil nuts, chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup almonds, chopped
1 cup candied orange peel, chopped
1 cup maraschino cherries, whole
1 cup raisins

3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar/1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
3 eggs

Mix all fruit and nuts in a bowl. Sift all dry ingredients over fruit and nuts. Mix well. Beat eggs and vanilla. Add to other mix. Blend well. Grease and line 9 in loaf pan. Bake 300 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours til top is firm.

Cool 15 min and remove from pan. Cool and remove waxed paper. Wrap in rum or brandy soaked cheesecloth and then foil. Store in refrigerator 3 weeks before eating.

I use KA fruitcake mix with more red and green cherries and pineapple.
I soak the fruit is the brandy for a day, before mixing the cake.

This cake should season for at least a month, adding more brandy once a week to the cheesecloth.
It gets very mellow and yummy.

 

[Saphellae]

cause so far I have never met a fruit cake I like!

 

[Constance]

Here's my mom's recipe:

1 cup sugar
1/2 lb butter
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
5 large eggs
1 oz vanilla
1 oz lemon extract
3/4 lb. candied cherries
1 lb. candied pineapple
4 cups pecans

Mix flour and baking powder with butter. Mix eggs and extracts with sugar. Combine. Add fruit last. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans or 1 bundt pan.
Bake at 200 until toothpick comes out clean...about 2 hours for a large cake.

Cool, remove from pans, and wrap in cheesecloth that has been soaked in apricot (or other fruity) brandy.
Store in airtight container for 1 month, opening lid and adding a little more brandy once a week. Keep in cool place.

Mom and I both always made this the weekend after Thanksgiving. She cooked it in 1 lb. coffee cans for Christmas gifts, and mailed it in the can.

What I always found amusing was that my second MIL, an adamant teetotaler, loved my fruitcake. I told her it had liquor in it, but her answer was that all fruitcake did, but that the alcohol all evaporated off.

All I know is that this cake is too rich to eat enough to make you tipsy.

 

[babetoo]

when i was growing up, my mom made a white fruit cake called Maud's cake. love it. can't find a recipe that sounds like it. i know it had dried fruit and coconut in it. found some recipes on line for white fruit cake and may have to settle for them, but not really it. anyone ever heard of it. if u have a recipe please pm it to me.