Consider the fruit cake
People love them. People hate them. I happen to like a good
fruit cake.
But year in and year out, millions of them are sold, which
disproves the old joke about just one fruitcake that is passed from person to
person.
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| (Panlasang Pinoy Recipes Photo) |
Dating back to Roman times (and some might argue that a
fruit cake will last that long), it’s hard to think of another food that is as
joked about and mocked.
Johnny Carson is widely credited with giving the baked good
a bad rap in December 1985 when he quipped on The Tonight Show, “The worst
Christmas gift is fruitcake. There is only one fruitcake in the entire world,
and people keep sending it to each other.” (source: mental floss)
Often it’s the booze that makes the cake. It seems the
holidays gives bakers the chance to create fabulously boozy baked goods, fruit
cakes included . . . but also plum cakes and oh so delicious rum cakes.
When I had my store, we had a customer who make an incredible
rum cake. Boozy as hell, but rich, dark and filled with raisins and nuts. She
made a lot of those cakes, coming in every week or so to buy a bottle of
Bacardi 151. It was an adult treat (and probably a tag, “Contains Rum. Eat
responsibly” was needed). Bless her for sharing.
There’s a huge difference between those grocery store fruit
cakes that are often dry and made with mediocre ingredients and a fruitcake seek
out fruitcake makers like Colin Street Bakery or Trappist or abbey bakeries.
Check the following links as a start . . . You’ll find delicious options here .
. .
So while the fruitcake has been a staple of England’s Royal
family during celebrations, including Diana and Charles’ wedding, it has also
been used for various celbrations around the world.
Fruitcakes from Assumption Abbey, Abbey of Our Lady of
Guadeloupe, Monastery of the Holy Spirit and others are in the catalogue and
website.
Grab a bite if you like . . . ‘Tis the season . . .
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