What's Your Take on Fruitcake?
by Kalyn Denny

[img_assist|fid=2362|thumb=1|alt=fruitcake]
Fruitcake Image from Mondo Fruitcake.

Never has there been a more maligned dessert than the simple fruitcake. People love it or hate it. What's your take on this traditional Christmas sweet? Here are some opinions, recipes, and little known fruitcake resources. . .

First, for everything you always wanted to know about fruit but were afraid to ask, there's The Society for the Protection and Preservation of Fruitcake.

Mondo Fruitcake is a blog dedicated to fruitcake.

Loping LouBob has a fruitcake recipe that's been handed down for generations.

Retro Food shares a recipe for a fruitcake that's "expensive but worth it."

Save Your Fork, There's Pie is talking about fruitcake porn.

The Life of a Neurotic Mom has a very unusal fruitcake recipe.

Downshifting - Path to Simplicity in the U.K. talks about inheriting the family fruitcake, with a recipe too.

Bitchin' in the Kitchen offers a fruitcake choice: spend all day making fruitcake, or buy one at Costco and spend the day at the spa.

Don't miss the lovely step-by-step instructions for making the Christmas Cake from Fannie at Foodbeam.

If you don't like the fruits that come in fruitcake, you can make your own fruitmince with instructions from Haalo at Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once.

The Accidental Scientist has become a fruitcake convert thanks to a fruitcake she discovered at the Eugene Holiday Farmer's Market.

Fighting Alchemist Cats Exit celebrates Family Fruitcake Day.

Durward Discussion gives a recipe for The American Version of fruitcake.

And finally, at The Gossip Girls you can see the final video footage of The Fruitcake Lady who died on November 3, 2006 at the age of 95.

Contributing Editor Kalyn Denny cooks constantly and writes about it at Kalyn's kitchen, but she's never made a fruitcake.

Submitted by Kalyn Denny (view blog) on Sat, 11/25/2006 - 22:53
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Comments

 

Hmmm... Love it

Hmmm.. love it, if it's good. I don't care for much for the rather bitter, artificial tasting citron and peel that is often used. But real dried fruits and nuts in a thin batter? Delish!!

The very best fruitcake I ever made had dried tropical fruit in a light fruit cake batter, similar to the one published at Save Your Fork, There's Pie. Yum.

Debra
A Stitch In Time
Deb's Daily Distractions

Submitted by debra roby on Sun, 11/26/2006 - 01:07
 

Fruitcake tradition...

The only fruitcake that I truly love is the one from my childhood, made by a faraway great Aunt in Texas. It was one of those flour-less recipes, full of sweetness, and special because she made it only once a year. My mother now carries on the tradition. I've tried many others through the years, but they don't come close!

Rebecca

Submitted by Cooking Up a Story on Sun, 11/26/2006 - 09:26
 

Give us Recipes

Hey Deb and Rebecca, and anyone else who has a good fruitcake recipe, post it here for those of us who are fruitcake avoiders.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Submitted by Kalyn Denny on Sun, 11/26/2006 - 10:20
 

Yes to a recipe

I've acquired a taste for it but it seems extremely unhealthy, although I've only tasted store-bought ones. I would be interested in making a *lighter* version too. Vanni B

Submitted by Vanni B on Sun, 11/26/2006 - 15:09
 

Uh, I'll pass

I grew up with fruitcake every year for many years. My father's company gave them out as a little Christmas bonus. I dutifully ate one slice every year. The rest of the cake would sit around in the tin container (because my mom believed in NEVER wasting any food) until long after Christmas, when my mom would finally toss it out.

Karen
"Life is too short to pout all the time."
A Deaf Mom Shares Her World

Submitted by Deaf Mom on Mon, 11/27/2006 - 13:33
 

I grew up with it as a

I grew up with it as a hand-me-down recipe from my English great-gran. Which served me well, since I now live in London and fruitcake = Christmas Cake here in England - there's no avoiding it from now until New Year's!!

Submitted by jnoelbell on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 10:34
 

I never cared much for

I never cared much for American version of fruit cake. A couple of years ago I was visiting friends in Germany. During coffee they served Stollen and described it as fruit cake. Being a good guest I knew I had to as least try it. Much to my surprise it was amazing, delicious and moist!

Tery Spataro

Submitted by Tery Spataro on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 10:47
 

Re: I never cared much for

> During coffee they served Stollen and described it as fruit cake.
> Being a good guest I knew I had to as least try it.
> Much to my surprise it was amazing, delicious and moist!

I had some Stollen several years ago by a German immigrant. Much to my chagrin, I later found out instead of butter or margerine, they used lard. :-|

-Bob
bobafifi.com

guitarbazaar.com

fluteplayer.net

Submitted by bobafifi on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 10:55