Who likes fruitcake?

[spazzdog]

If left unopened in its decorative tin, it makes a very nice doorstop

spazz

[GLC1968]

I voted against it though admittedly I haven't tried it since I was a kid. It just looks, feels and weighs so unappealing!

[OakLeaf]

It depends. If it's homemade with real fruit (and booze ), sure. If it's made with candied artificially colored fruit parts, HFCS and unidentifiable starch, leave it in the package!

[withm]

Good fruticake is really really good. But I'd have to say that most of the store boughten stuff is really best left behind.

Two weekends ago, with my arm in a sling, I made 14 fruitcakes. It was not so easy. I use Goslings dark rum in mine, mostly dried fruit, and a very liberal dose of cognac before wrapping.

People that have poo-pood fruitcakes all their lives have practically begged to get on my fruitcake list. I save a couple out for birthday gifts to one of my sisters, and for my 90-yr old neighbor. I once watched my boss from 20 years ago devour half a cake at one sitting.

Needless to say, I like fruitcake a lot Gee - I've taken photos of a lot of interesting things I've made, but I've never photographed a fruitcake. When I open one up for Christmas dinner's desert tomorrow, I will shoot some pix for you.

Martha

[uforgot]

I choreographed a Christmas show a couple of years back, and in it was a song called "Everlasting Fruitcake". About a fruitcake that wouldn't go away no matter what they did. One of my all time favorite numbers! It was a show put on by 14-18 year olds, and none of them knew what a fruitcake was! I had to make two fake fruitcakes that could be tossed, dropped, etc. I mailed one to the director for Christmas last year, but this thread reminds me that I forgot to mail the second one! Oh well.lol

Oh, and for the record, I think fruitcake is okay. Not great, not nasty, just okay. I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

[azfiddle]

Although our family doesn't even celebrate Christmas (we're Chanukah people), my dad started baking fruitcakes when I was in college. He made them at Thanksgiving and drenched them in brandy or something and gave hem away as gifts around Christmas. They were pretty good as I remember... not like the industrial store bought variety.

Oh, and another delightful song on this theme: Mick Moloney's rendition of this song, about an Irish version of fruitcake.

Miss Fogarty's Christmas Cake
Words and Music: C. Frank Horn, 1883

1. As I sat in my window last evening,
The letterman brought it to me
A little gilt-edged invitation sayin'
"Gilhooley come over to tea"
I knew that the Fogarties sent it.
So I went just for old friendships sake.
The first thing they gave me to tackle
Was a slice of Miss Fogarty's cake.

Chorus:
There were plums and prunes and cherries,
There were citrons and raisins and cinnamon, too
There was nutmeg, cloves and berries
And a crust that was nailed on with glue
There were caraway seeds in abundance
Such that work up a fine stomach ache
That could kill a man twice after eating a slice
Of Miss Fogarty's Christmas cake.

2. Miss Mulligan wanted to try it,
But really it wasn't no use
For we worked in it over an hour
And we couldn't get none of it loose
Till Murphy came in with a hatchet
And Kelly came in with a saw
That cake was enough be the powers above
For to paralyze any man's jaws

3. Miss Fogarty proud as a peacock,
Kept smiling and blinking away
Till she flipped over Flanagans brogans
And she spilt the homebrew in her tea
Aye Gilhooley she says you're not eatin,
Try a little bit more for me sake
And no Miss Fogarty says I,
For I've had quite enough of your cake

4. Maloney was took with the colic,
O'Donald's a pain in his head
Mc'Naughton lay down on the sofa,
And he swore that he wished he was dead
Miss Bailey went into hysterics
And there she did wriggle and shake
And everyone swore they were poisoned
Just from eating Miss Fogarty's cake

[badger]

I like it if it doesn't have that marzipan goop and those red and green cherry preserve things. My boyfriend's mother makes a really good one. So dense you can hurt someone if accidentally dropped on, but it's got a lovely taste.

[Trek420]

I choreographed a Christmas show a couple of years back, and in it was a song called "Everlasting Fruitcake". About a fruitcake that wouldn't go away no matter what they did. One of my all time favorite numbers! It was a show put on by 14-18 year olds, and none of them knew what a fruitcake was! I had to make two fake fruitcakes that could be tossed, dropped, etc. I mailed one to the director for Christmas last year, but this thread reminds me that I forgot to mail the second one! Oh well.lol

Oh, and for the record, I think fruitcake is okay. Not great, not nasty, just okay. I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

Like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXe89...eature=related

[smilingcat]

A real fruitcake is worth the weight in gold Sadly though, most so called fruitcake are worth its weight in lead. Not so good eats.

Well made fruitcake will warm your body. Will last a long time as it was meant to be. We preserve fruit of all sorts to make it last the year. To preserve the wonderful taste... A well made fruitcake is no different. The high sugar and alcohol helps to preserve it just as we preserve strawberries, peach, pear, raspberries... And remind us of the bounty of the season.

I care not for the HFCS in the cake. Nor the artificially colored gelatenous goo which are supposed to be some sort of fruit. Give me the real thing. Give me the fruit cake that was when it was made with nature's goodness.

I have plenty of nuts, raisins, dried cranberries... perhaps I will have to make my own. free range fruit cake

in defense of honest fruitcake.
smilingcat