It's sad that the fruitcake has such a reputation that it would be a blogging prompt on the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories. It's sad, but true that a lot can be said about the holiday fruitcake.
As a kid, I really didn't care much for it. I would pick out and discard the candied fruit (the cherries and those green things) and eat what was left of the remaining cake and nuts. As an adult, my tastes matured so that I now enjoy the blend of textures and flavors and consume every bit of the dense confection.
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| The Old Fashion Claxton Fruit Cake |
Every Christmas growing up we would receive a care package from our Virginia relatives that would include a 2‑lb. box of the Old Fashion Claxton Fruitcake along with other goodies like jars of Smithfield ham spread, Christmas Ribbon candy, tins of homemade cookies, and gifts for us kids. The edibles (cookies and candy) would be gobbled up promptly by our little tribe and then eventually we'd get around to the fruitcake. Did you know that a fruitcake can last a very, very long time without going bad?
Many years later I thought I would try making my own fruitcake. Making a fruitcake gives you a different perspective and different options. Since there are many, many different recipes for making a fruitcake, I chose one that did not include the red cherries or the green things. I used dried apricots, white raisins, and lots of nuts. After baking, I wrapped the loaves in cheesecloth drenched in apricot-brandy (the best part) and stored them in the back of my refrigerator for about a month. The result was delicious!
©2011 – Frank’s Daughter All Rights Reserved
Like you, I hated fruitcake as a kid, but now I like it. I've never tried to make one though. Your recipe sounds like one I would like since the candied fruit never appeals to me that much.
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