topic Re: Fruitcake in Recipes

Fruitcake

kismet — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 09:21:58 GMT

I've made fruitcake for many years but this year wonder if most cut the cherries in half or in 4ths. I alway cut them in 4 but after looking at some to buy I see a lot have half of a cherry. I suppose it's what a person likes but wonder do most of you cut them in 4ths. This year I was going to buy some fruitcake but after looking as some reviews I decided to make them myself. I was not happy with the golden raisins I usually buy. Does anyone buy them online, next year will not buy from the grocery store. I remember checking the raisins when a child helping mom make the fruitcake and never saw so many stems and leaves and darker than they should be raisins. It took me over an hour to check them for stems and any other problems with them. Quality has sure gone down.

Re: Fruitcake

on the bay — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:50:33 GMT

@kismet -

Hi Kismet!

I have never made fruitcake, but I will gladly eat it for you!

I know I would much rather have half cherries in there then quarters, if that helps. And also regular raisins rather than golden which I don't think I've ever had. Sunmaid raisins have always been good.

It must be a lot of work.

My sister used to make it every year for my father. She put lots of brandy in it!😆 It was really good. Before that, our grandmother made or ordered it for him every year. And our great grandmother made it before that!

The best one I ever had also had pineapple chunks in it too. It took out some of the bitterness, you know that kind of bite? Maybe that comes from the raisins?

I sure wish I could help you taste it! You know, make sure it's ok!😁

Re: Fruitcake

candys mine — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 13:57:32 GMT

I would do BOTH. Mostly quarters but some halves. It was fun to see a few BIG pieces BUT the halves always snagged during the cutting and either pulled out of the cake or looked ragged. Snugging the halves into the batter on the top whre you can still see them when the cake is done might solve that. Enjoy making your festive fruitcake!

If you use booze maybe plump up the sultanas in a warm drink of burbon before you bake them. That makes a "Warming" little bite indeed!

Re: Fruitcake

Still Raining — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 16:24:41 GMT

Just love mine whole, just like my mom did.

Re: Fruitcake

alicedee — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 18:08:44 GMT

I always leave the cherries whole. I usually get the glacé cherries, but couldn't find them so I will use some from a jar of maraschino cherries. I also use regular raisins, not golden.

I had to buy my mixed fruit online this year....grocery store didn't have it. First time ordering from nuts.com ... being delivered today.

I will be making my fruitcake tomorrow!

Re: Fruitcake

2Kittys — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 22:06:39 GMT

I there anyone on this planet that even likes or wants fruitcake? Not me!

Re: Fruitcake

proudlyfromNJ — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 22:35:26 GMT

@2Kittys wrote:
I there anyone on this planet that even likes or wants fruitcake? Not me!

@2Kittys Well, yes. Everyone on this thread including me. You're the odd man out.

Re: Fruitcake

FastDogWalker2 — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 22:42:47 GMT

Me!! I purchased the Grandma's BakeShop Fruit and Nut cake from a recommendation on this board - it's SO good!

Re: Fruitcake

2Kittys — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 22:54:38 GMT

@proudlyfromNJ wrote:
@2Kittys wrote:
I there anyone on this planet that even likes or wants fruitcake? Not me!
@2Kittys Well, yes. Everyone on this thread including me. You're the odd man out.

Maybe it's an East coast/West coast thing. I'm West coast.

Re: Fruitcake

candys mine — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 23:11:03 GMT

@2KittysThat is interesting. Why would that make a difference? and if it does What is it about the Fruitcake that you don't care for?

Re: Fruitcake

alicedee — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 23:15:10 GMT

@2Kittys wrote:
@proudlyfromNJ wrote:
@2Kittys wrote:
I there anyone on this planet that even likes or wants fruitcake? Not me!
@2Kittys Well, yes. Everyone on this thread including me. You're the odd man out.
Maybe it's an East coast/West coast thing. I'm West coast.

My family and I live in the Midwest. Each year both my brothers-in-law ask me to make them fruitcake.

Re: Fruitcake

jannabelle1 — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 00:38:18 GMT

I really think that @2Kittys should have just moved on past this thread since she obviously doesn't like (or maybe never tasted) fruitcake. I'm in the Midwest and grew up with my grandmother's and my mother's every year. DH loves it too. Since I'm not that great of a baker, I ordered several of them this year from Collin Street Bakery in Texas....a little pricey, but very moist and full of fruits and nut.....and with instructions on how to make them a bit boozey! LOL! I admire all of you on this thread who make fruitcake! It's definitely a labor of love, so kudos to you all!

Re: Fruitcake

FiddleDeeDee — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 00:43:01 GMT

@kismet IMHO, what makes fruitcake awful is when there's a bunch of stuff in it that you, the person eating it, doesn't like in any way. For me, that would be booze, orange peel, pineapple chunks and big chunks of cherries...oh and big chunks of walnuts (any nut).

It may be an oral thing but I prefer those items in tiny bits. So, making my Great Great Grandmothers recipe, I changed it to fit the taste of myself and my family:

No pineapple

No orange peel/bits

Small pieces of walnuts that I chop

Small (I mean diced) pieces of green and red cherries

I use golden and dark raisins

No booze.

It is a recipe that is requested by every person who eats it. I give it as gifts in little loaf pans to those I know like it and they prefer that over something store bought (so do I, being honest). So, do what works for you and what you and your family prefer. I see those half walnuts and whole/large fruit pieces and it's a huge turn-off.....but that's ME.

Re: Fruitcake

IamDoodles — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 01:45:26 GMT

@jannabelle1 wrote:
I really think that @2Kittys should have just moved on past this thread since she obviously doesn't like (or maybe never tasted) fruitcake. I'm in the Midwest and grew up with my grandmother's and my mother's every year. DH loves it too. Since I'm not that great of a baker, I ordered several of them this year from Collin Street Bakery in Texas....a little pricey, but very moist and full of fruits and nut.....and with instructions on how to make them a bit boozey! LOL! I admire all of you on this thread who make fruitcake! It's definitely a labor of love, so kudos to you all!

I just received my Collin Street Bakery fruitcakes this week. It is so darn good. I've made fruitcake in the past but it is too much work. This is the best fruitcake on the planet.

Re: Fruitcake

kismet — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 03:21:44 GMT

I had to order my fruit from Amazon since the stores don't have much around here. I guess no one makes it here. I did get the raisins from the store. My mom use to go to the small store in town and get the fruit from a large barrel and it would be weighed by the store. Never bought it in a container. I never tasted it growing up being a kid thinking it looked gross. Mom made it and no one ate it but her and dad. As I got older I tasted it and it was so good. I make it for me and my daughter. Years ago when I worked I took it for my friends and my supervisor asked if she could have the recipe. She said it was the best she ever had and she knows fruitcake. I think of her every christmas and wonder if she made it all these years. I don't put any liquor in mine but at times have thought about it. My strongest drink is coffee so the liquor is out. I did cut all the cherries, pineapple and nuts last night. It took me almost 3 hours. The raisins took the longest. I've always loved to cook and bake so don't mind doing the work. Now on to the sugar cookies. I'm late this year. I do love my sugar cookies frosted or not. I like rolling them out and decorating too. It's very relaxing.

Re: Fruitcake

alicedee — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 18:32:16 GMT

Just a note....was going to use maraschino cherries, as I couldn't find glacé....but read yesterday not to use them in fruitcake that won't be eaten right away!

So...on the King Arthur site they have a recipe for making glacé cherries from maraschino cherries. It looked very simple, so I will be doing that today.

Update: My glacé cherries turned out great! Tasted one, and it was delicious! Got two plates like this from a 16 oz. jar of maraschino cherries.

Re: Fruitcake

2Kittys — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 19:35:20 GMT

I really don't know how to describe it. It's like when I read stuff posted here, it feels to me like everything is "home town" or "home body", always in the kitchen cooking or baking, always making quilts, a lot of knitting. I'm from Ca. (now from Vegas), and I don't know anyone who does stuff like that. One time, my SIL and I went to a wedding, and the wedding cake had 1 tier was fruitcake. It was like a brick! We both started laughing so hard, not getting why anyone would have that as their wedding cake. We both ate around that tier, and left it behind.

Re: Fruitcake

bonappetit — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 20:04:46 GMT

Homemade fruitcake is wonderful & takes some effort. Not only making, but acquiring all the ingredients, which is a lot of stuff. Have you looked at Kingarthur.com? They have wonderful ingredients for making fruitcake. Enjoy

Re: Fruitcake

candys mine — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 00:57:28 GMT

@2KittysFruitcake as a wedding cake has a Very LONG History. Hundreds and hundreds of years in fact. It takes a lot of 'special" ingredients that were precious and hard to come by back then. Weddings were a Big Deal so the cake was more special than Anything they could afford to make usually. Fruitcake also Keeps for a long time. The old tradition was to keep a piece to celebrate the first aniverssary of the union or even Better in those days was the birth of the first child which they hoped would come before the anneversary. Your friends wedding fruitcake was a nod to wedding tradition ages old. Hope you and your SIL enjoyed the rest of the celebration you were invited to.

It may be heavy but if a batter is laden with fruit and nuts and oftentimes alcohol soaked it WILL be dense. Some fruitcakes are more tasty than others but don't Knock 'em till you've tried 'em.

You are right also when you see many posters here have been cooking, baking, canning and sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting and a number of other home skills. I, myself, wish I had the time and the knack for Half of what they know and do. A skill is a skill.

edited: sorry I said the birth but it was the Most important Christening of the child back then that warrented the special cake.

Re: Fruitcake

candys mine — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 01:00:06 GMT

@alicedee Brava! they're beautiful! Please post a picture of the finished cake sometime. Furitcakes are SO prety.