# Let's Talk Fruitcakes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 12, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831 "2010-12-12T00:43:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/21 "2010-12-13T07:53:49Z")
[These monks](http://www.gethsemanifarms.org/fruitcake.aspx) make a pretty good fruitcake too. They tend to sell out pretty quickly. Unfortunately I don’t care for bourbon. I usually go for dried fruit rather than the candied stuff when I make fruitcake. I had some left over one year and decided to see how long I could keep it as an experiment. Went for about seven years I think and was still edible, tasty even. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/22 "2010-12-13T12:23:36Z")
> [@Doug\_Bowe](#): > > Years ago Consumer Reports tasted U. S. fruitcakes and decided on three that passed muster. > For liquor soaked wonder they gave a pass to the fruitcakes made by the religions society mentioned above by Athena. > For people who want lots of nuttiness they passed a fruitcake company in Corsicana, TX. > For people who wanted more of a sweet-sweet desert cake they passed the Harry and David cake (the same people who run Fruit of the Month). > > But through the years I’ve run across dry bombshells that would serve better as a door stop. The Corsicana cakes are made by the [Collin Street Bakery](http://www.collinstreet.com/pages/online_bakery/pecan_cakes). They are, indeed, pecan-laden. And nary a bit of citron… ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/23 "2010-12-13T14:12:13Z")
Another vote for Alton Brown’s recipe. It is so delicious, and contains no neon-glow ingredients. It’s all gorgeous dried fruit, nuts, and fresh citrus peel, with just enough batter to hold it together and soak up some liquor. I’m usually not much for fruit desserts, preferring rich chocolate goodies, but if I had to choose, I’d probably take a slice of this over chocolate cake. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/24 "2010-12-13T14:33:43Z")
[The Fruitcake Lament Song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQfWWWTE8K4) ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/25 "2010-12-13T14:42:35Z")
> [@dwyr](#): > > [These monks](http://www.gethsemanifarms.org/fruitcake.aspx) make a pretty good fruitcake too. They tend to sell out pretty quickly. Unfortunately I don’t care for bourbon. I usually go for dried fruit rather than the candied stuff when I make fruitcake. I had some left over one year and decided to see how long I could keep it as an experiment. Went for about seven years I think and was still edible, tasty even. Leftover fruitcake? The words are from the English language but used together, they don’t make sense. 😕 ;). For the fruitcake that you kept - did you dose it with liquor or anything? Or just keep it wrapped up? or in the freezer? ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/26 "2010-12-13T14:47:21Z")
I love all fruitcake. The Collin Street Bakery ones are great, and full of fresh pecans. But I also like the dreaded citron-packed fruitcakes everyone else seems to hate. ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/27 "2010-12-13T17:15:36Z")
Another vote for Collin Street Bakery’s fruitcake - we get sent one every year by my mother and love the stuff. They will mail their items just about anywhere in the world, I think. Fruitcakes, which require no refrigeration, are easy, but they’ve apparently got shipping refrigerated items down, as well: We ordered a cheesecake from them a few years ago (we live in California), and it arrived just fine in a styrofoam insulating package of some sort. There’s another outfit in the DFW area called [Mary of Puddin Hill](http://www.puddinhill.com/Aboutus.asp) about whose fruitcakes I’ve heard good things. Never had the chance yet to try one, though. ---
**Author:** ![FrigidLizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3bc359/32.png) [@FrigidLizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrigidLizard)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/28 "2010-12-13T21:00:38Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever had a true fruitcake, but they look delightful! My mother always made a delicious loaf that she called “fruitcake” which in reality was an applesauce cake with candied fruit thrown in. I sure hope she sends me some this year. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/29 "2010-12-14T03:24:03Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > I think it’s usually spelled as one word. > > Question: For folks who like a fine whisky, wouldn’t putting it in a fruitcake be sort of a waste? The truly complex flavors of the whisky would be lost in a fruitcake, whereas a mid-range liquor would do a fine job of adding the alcoholic notes and melding the flavors. And of course if one liked whisky, but not fruitcake, this would surely be seen as an abomination! I don’t know what type of whiskey was used in the Aussie one I picked up, but it’s so good that I’d definitely think about giving the Glenfiddich cake a whirl. Seems a bit extravagant to spend 25 bucks on a fruitcake, but this one I got was $15, so maybe not too much of a leap. Some of the people who don’t like fruitcakes might change their mind by trying some of these imports. Growing up in West Texas, all there ever seemed to be were these cruddy little fruitcake bricks. You could have injured yourself if you dropped one on your foot. This one we have is also very moist and difficult to slice without it crumbling. But eating the small moist chunks is fine. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/30 "2010-12-14T05:36:30Z")
Fruitcake is a critical part of an Aussie Christmas. I like to make mine along with a nice Christmas pudding ice cream cake. We used to have it a lot as kids when we went camping, it kept pretty easily and was filling. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/31 "2010-12-14T08:18:51Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Leftover fruitcake? > > The words are from the English language but used together, they don’t make sense. 😕 ;). > > For the fruitcake that you kept - did you dose it with liquor or anything? Or just keep it wrapped up? or in the freezer? It was a very big fruitcake. I kept it embalmed in brandy in a rubbermaid container at room temp. It was just a couple of slices really. I was curious. I do a lot of odd things because of that actually. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/32 "2010-12-14T09:11:11Z")
> [@](#): > > I kept it embalmed in brandy in a rubbermaid container at room temp. It was just a couple of slices really. I was curious. > > I do a lot of odd things because of that actually. You know, if you were talking about anything other than a fruitcake, I’d have to call the cops on you. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/33 "2010-12-14T09:22:54Z")
I use my own recipe and love it. Just enough batter to keep all the different dried fruits sticking together, make it a couple of weeks before Yule to let the tastes combine, pour over a drop of brandy a few days before I start slicing it and eat it with a glass of Port. Yummy! ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/34 "2010-12-14T11:42:44Z")
People in Australia pretend to like lots of things (like Kiwis) but they secretly hate fruit cakes. Lets talk Ecchelfechan tarts. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/35 "2010-12-14T14:34:01Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I don’t know what type of whiskey was used in the Aussie one I picked up, but it’s so good that I’d definitely think about giving the Glenfiddich cake a whirl. Seems a bit extravagant to spend 25 bucks on a fruitcake, but this one I got was $15, so maybe not too much of a leap. Some of the people who don’t like fruitcakes might change their mind by trying some of these imports. Growing up in West Texas, all there ever seemed to be were these cruddy little fruitcake bricks. You could have injured yourself if you dropped one on your foot. > > This one we have is also very moist and difficult to slice without it crumbling. But eating the small moist chunks is fine. The ones from St. John’s monastery are 40 bucks each. I don’t have hard figures for what it cost to make ours this year but I’d say the ingredients are nearly 10 bucks per cake (dried fruit is pricey, ditto liquor) so 25 dollars is NOT out of line. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/36 "2010-12-14T15:33:57Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I’m not sure how far back the fruitcake jokes go. They were common when I was growing up in the 60s. The joke was based on receiving a home-made fruit cake in the mail at Christmas time from your spinster aunt that was denser than lead, dry as a bone, and as tasty as fiberboard. Added to that is the phrase ‘nuttier than a fruitcake’, often referring to that same aunt. Another running gag is the fruitcake that gets regifted every year and never eaten. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/37 "2010-12-14T15:45:13Z")
Fruitcake is one of three foods Garfield won’t eat (the other two are raisins and snails). ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/38 "2010-12-14T16:34:35Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I like fruitcake, so long as it doesn’t contain any of that nasty candied citrus peel known as ‘citron’. Those translucent green bitter bombs ruin the whole thing. (O, joy! One of my favorite topics!) ..And here, **Fear Itself,** you have hit upon the pivotal point: _You must make your own candied citrus peel._ I love every kind of fruitcake. When I was a teenager, I found a recipe in “The Joy of Cooking” for a blonde fruitcake – using golden raisins, dried apricots, etc. instead of regular raisins and the other dark fruit which is customary. Then you wrap it in brandy-soaked cheesecloth for a month. It was _awesome_! My very favorite thing of this type, though, is the Italian panettone. I can eat it daily and never tire of it. But, you’ve \*\*got \*\* to candy your own citrus peel. The difference between candied citrus peel made from lemons from your neighbor’s Meyer bush, tangerines, and grapefruit — and that day-glo stuff they have in the supermarket, is like night and day. Witness the fact that many people _don’t even know what it is._ ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/39 "2010-12-15T06:28:17Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > You know, if you were talking about anything other than a fruitcake, I’d have to call the cops on you. It was dead when I found it, I swear! ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831/40 "2010-12-15T14:44:11Z")
> [@brujaja](#): > > (O, joy! One of my favorite topics!) > > ..And here, **Fear Itself,** you have hit upon the pivotal point: > > _You must make your own candied citrus peel._..\* I don’t mind the candied citron… even tolerate the glace “cherries” which are about as far removed from real cherries as it is possible to be and not contain antimatter… but if you dislike citron, then DEFINITELY do your own candied peel. It is actually not difficult at all, just a little time consuming. I’ve got a dish of candied grapefruit peel (did NOT use that in the fruitcake, as yummy as it is it’d be too bitter), and I candied a Buddha’s Hand also, some of which DID go into the fruitcake. Actually the Buddha’s Hand was especially easy - with most other fruits you need to boil and drain the peels a couple of times to reduce bitterness, but that wasn’t needed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-fruitcakes/563831.md?page=3)