Posted on 12/11/2023 6:11:06 PM PST by DallasBiff
If you're interested in turning your next holiday party into a social experiment, consider bringing some of these Christmas classics to the table, because nothing says conversation piece like a large snowman made of cottage cheese. History has produced some seriously weird Christmas food trends and quite a few of them have managed to stick around. Holiday foods from centuries ago may come across as unappetizing because of how much tastes have changed. On the other hand, Christmas trends of 20th-century America took weirdness to a whole other level.
(Excerpt) Read more at mashed.com ...
It was more than 50 years ago when I sold those fruitcakes for the band and football team fundraising.
The company was smart enough to give us a box of sample slices to lure the customer in. They had to, the sticker shock on those things almost made people pass out. But, after the first year, I had regulars asking when we were going to get them at the school and they sold themselves by the case.
Hmmm... I might buy something there to support the college. The stuff looks pretty good.
Orange slice cake sounds good. Recipe? My DIL especially likes those fruit-flavored gum drop candies.
If they would simply remove those petrified, gelled fruits, it might not be so bad :-)
The candied fruit is good, but citron is the worst! Wal-Mart’s fruitcake doesn’t contain citron. Claxton s doesn’t either.
Love that story! They sell themselves!! :-)
Our kids sold Butter Braids, for the holidays. A frozen pastry braid that you baked. The entire house smelled like a heavenly bakery.
Once someone bought them, they were a repeat customer, for the entire time my kid’s were in high school. We’d pass the torch on to the underclassmen.
It absolutely is all you said.
Wouldn’t just you rather have a slice of homemade pecan or even pumpkin pie? Rather than that made years ago fruitbrick, er, cake?
:-)
I love Claxton fruitcakes. Grew up with them in the South.
“ If anybody gets a fruitcake for a present and you don’t want it, mail it to me.”
I’ve got a fruitcake for President and you can have him
That's what I'm talking about! My mom also made mince pie and plum pudding with hard sauce. Shoot, hard sauce makes anything taste great.
I’ve thought a modern mince pie, kind of modeled after supreme pizza toppings might work. Sort of a really big Hot Pocket. Bacon, sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, sauce etc.
As far as fruitcake go, it’s hard to beat a “Prohibition Fruitcake”. You start with a high quality ring fruitcake in a tin, and once a day for an entire month you dribble just one Tablespoon, no more, of high test dark rum on it. Then reseal the tin.
The fruitcake does not become mushy, but its sugars are melted then crystalize within the cake. The end result is a cake that can be used as rocket fuel. A thin sliver will launch you.
As a courtesy, the host would leave a bowl with some whole cloves in it next to the fruitcake, that can be chewed to help cover your breath.
Me too, me too! Especially those nasty old Texas Pecan Cakes— you don’t want that and so I’ll kindly help ya out.
Actually, I like it all.
My heart is cheered by all of you who enjoy fruitcake! My mom and dad loved fruitcake and always bought at least one at the A & P, by Jane Parker. I don’t think my 2 older sisters or my younger brother liked fruitcake but I loved the things and felt like like a big shot when I could have a piece with either milk or my own cup of coffee (lots of milk). It was almost a ritual the way my dad carefully opened the cake and had a damp paper towel to keep the knife moist.
Years later, when my dad could no longer get that brand, I quizzed him on what he liked and preferred in his fruitcake (light cake versus dark, pecans/walnuts, etc.) and put together a recipe for him. A friend suggested I use Cordon Rouge so I did. Dad was so happy with the first one I ever made for him. I continued making one for him for several years. He died in March of 2022 and I miss not being able to make him a fruitcake and seeing his face light up when I give it to him.
But I love knowing there are so many fruitcake lovers here!
Peach
Just make it with real dried fruit:
Free Range Fruitcake
Ingredients
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup currants
• 1/2 cup sun dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup sun dried blueberries
• 1/2 cup sun dried cherries
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
• Zest of one lemon, chopped coarsely
• Zest of one orange, chopped coarsely
• 1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped
• 1 cup gold rum
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 ounces unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks)
• 1 cup unfiltered apple juice/cider
• 4 whole cloves, ground
• 6 allspice berries, ground
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup toasted pecans, broken
• Brandy for basting and/or spritzing
Directions
Combine dried fruits, candied ginger and both zests. Add rum and macerate overnight, or microwave for 5 minutes to re-hydrate fruit.
Place fruit and liquid in a non-reactive pot with the sugar, butter, apple juice and spices. Bring mixture to a boil stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for at least 15 minutes. (Batter can be completed up to this point, then covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before completing cake.)
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Combine dry ingredients and sift into fruit mixture. Quickly bring batter together with a large wooden spoon, then stir in eggs one at a time until completely integrated, then fold in nuts.
Spoon into a 10-inch non-stick loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.
Check for doneness by inserting toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, bake another 10 minutes, and check again.
Remove cake from oven and place on cooling rack or trivet. Baste or spritz top with brandy and allow to cool completely before turning out from pan.
When cake is completely cooled, seal in a tight sealing, food safe container.
Every 2 to 3 days, feel the cake and if dry, spritz with brandy. The cake's flavor will enhance considerably over the next two weeks.
Now, THAT sounds like my kind of cake!
Thanks for that recipe.
What fruitcake *should* be :-)
Good fruitcake is excellent.
Bad fruitcake? I’d rather eat it than “nutraloaf”, but it’s close.
It seems there is not many of us fruitcake lovers left around
anymore. The place where I used to work used to give a “Grandma’s” fruitcake out to folks every Christmas. I thought they were delicious.
It seems there is not many of us fruitcake lovers left around
anymore. The place where I used to work used to give a “Grandma’s” fruitcake out to folks every Christmas. I thought they were delicious.
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