How do you feel about fruitcake - A holiday poll part deux

[clifffaith]

Collins Street is our "favorite", but we didn't buy one this year. Honestly, I'd rather just have another handful of Chistmas cookies. I read something about the Appalachian Trail last spring that mentioned so many folks were carrying Claxton fruit cake with them on the trail that Claxton started making individually wrapped slices. Happened to mention it to Mom, and she said Claxton was her mother's favorite. So I ordered a box of slices sent to Mom, and of course she shared. Great big MEH as far as I was concerned, so we'll stick to Collins Street.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

I actually like the Costco fruitcake. Did not buy one this year because trying to watch my waist. Wish they would provide in smaller package because no one else in my household eats it and I only want a taste to feel like Christmas.

Someone made me a fruitcake years ago with dried fruit. It was yummy. Will check out the recipe.

 

[Chrisky]

Love fruitcake. I bake my own, one that has fresh orange, rind and all, purreed and added to the pineapple, cherries, nuts and Grand Marnier, then all added to the dough part and baked. The other one is a Kingston dark fruitcake that has dates, figs, raisins, cherries soaked in rum and then added to the dough part and baked.
They require a bit of prep work but then what I like about the cakes, is that they last, do not require refrigeration and I then always have a little sweet on hand for friends that come over for a visit.

 

[Janann]

I've been making this recipe for a long time, but skipped it this year. It is excellent:
https://www.southernliving.com/kitchen-assistant/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-a-white-fruitcake

 

[Egret1986]

Added, the top two were supposed to be funny

I got the "funny". Thanks for adding the humor.

I've only had one fruitcake that was enjoyable and I looked forward to it each year as Christmas approached. A lady at my husband's job always gave him one each year. Alas, this year, no fruitcake.

I used to bake and bake all kinds of Christmas treats for him to take to the job. Several trays each day leading up to Christmas. It got to be more than I wanted to do, spend, or eat myself, along with the family. It's been said that the average person gains around 10 lbs over the holidays.

So, I get it about no fruitcake this year from the lady with the scrumptious fruitcake.

 

[Panina]

I got the "funny". Thanks for adding the humor.

I've only had one fruitcake that was enjoyable and I looked forward to it each year as Christmas approached. A lady at my husband's job always gave him one each year. Alas, this year, no fruitcake.

I used to bake and bake all kinds of Christmas treats for him to take to the job. Several trays each day leading up to Christmas. It got to be more than I wanted to do, spend, or eat myself, along with the family. It's been said that the average person gains around 10 lbs over the holidays.

So, I get it about no fruitcake this year from the lady with the scrumptious fruitcake.

He can ask for the recipe.

 

[rickandcindy23]

My feelings are that if you have choices of something to eat, choose something other than the fruitcake.

My dad used to be a bread delivery person for a bakery that had a good fruitcake, but even in the 1950's, the family wasn't that excited about his fruitcake gifts that year. I think it was Home Pride that he worked for. Anyway, he liked it a lot, but his two sisters and five brothers weren't so fond of it.

 

[SandyPGravel]

Never had it. It has such a bad rep that I've never been inclined to try it.

 

[amycurl]

Keys to great fruitcake:
-Homemade (you can taste the love)
-Real, high quality booze (the only time my grandmother touched alcohol was to make this one kind of fruitcake she called "Friendship Cake"; the kind that required a starter.)
-Farm fresh eggs
-Dried or fresh fruit.

It's really the poor quality candied fruit and the high amount of artificial preservatives in most commercial fruitcakes that tend to give it a bad name, IMHO.

I had not thought about my grandmother's Friendship Cakes for *years* until reading this thread....my mother inherited her recipe box; I wonder if it is in there.

 

[MULTIZ321]

Keys to great fruitcake:
-Homemade (you can taste the love)
-Real, high quality booze (the only time my grandmother touched alcohol was to make this one kind of fruitcake she called "Friendship Cake"; the kind that required a starter.)
-Farm fresh eggs
-Dried or fresh fruit.

It's really the poor quality candied fruit and the high amount of artificial preservatives in most commercial fruitcakes that tend to give it a bad name, IMHO.

I had not thought about my grandmother's Friendship Cakes for *years* until reading this thread....my mother inherited her recipe box; I wonder if it is in there.

Hi Amycurl,

If it is, would you share it?

Richard

 

[DrQ]

"Friendship Cake"; the kind that required a starter.)

I had not thought about my grandmother's Friendship Cakes for *years* until reading this thread....my mother inherited her recipe box; I wonder if it is in there.

My DW used to make Friendship cakes many years ago without fruit.

It's kind of a sourdough. The reason you give it to friends is that it creates so much starter, you have to give it away.

 

[amycurl]

I have sourdough starter that the same grandmother brought back to Alaska with her in the 50s, when my aunt was stationed there. It dates back to the Alaskan gold rush.

Hers definitely had fruit. I'll ask my mother about it tomorrow, and if I find it, I'll post it.