SOME KINDA FRUITCAKE

 All right I’m putting my Christmas cards on the table. 

I LIKE FRUITCAKE

I’m one of the few left who are Fruitcake Fans. 

This year November 26 is “Stir Up Sunday”. It is a reference to the last Sunday before Advent and gets its name from the book of Common Prayer “Stir up, we beseech thee O’Lord, the wills of thy Faithful People.” It’s also the traditional time to start prepping those rich English puddings and fruitcakes filled with candied fruit, nuts and raisins!

Most people consider Fruitcake the worst gift ever, better off as a brick or paperweight. But I like it so for the first time this year, I made one!

Now my Mom makes a rum soaked version rich  in raisins, currants, dates and nuts and goes easy on the jewelled coloured mystery fruit. 

But I went a different route and made an orange and almond base with all the neon fruit. 

I had a bottle of Grand Mariner in the cupboard to use so I figured for my fruit cake this would be what I would use to bathe it in booze.

So I mixed up the batter and stuck pretty close to the recipe as it’s risky to get bold with new recipes and better to follow instructions!

This “brick” baked long and slow in the oven and then I wrapped it in swaddling cheesecloth and put it to rest in the cool garage. I pull it out weekly and give it a fresh soaking of Grand Mariner to keep it moist

Today, I figured it was time for a taste test

It’s a lovely fruitcake! Rich, orangey with lots of fruit and almonds. I’ll add it to the tray of goodies for friends and family to try. Who knows, maybe I can turn around the trend and boost the Fruitcake Fan Club!

Or, I’ll keep it in the freezer and nibble away at it for the next year. It’s not a brick or a paperweight. 

It’s some kinda fruitcake!