edna lewis' christmas fruitcake
Has anyone tried this recipe? Thinking of making it this year instead of my usual but am weary since fruitcakes can either be amazing or the total opposite.
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8 Comments:
In the past, I've usually bought fruitcakes from the Trappist Monks-either Holy Abbey Monastery or Gethsemani Farms...no one does fruitcakes like the monks..
Italiancupcake at 6:00PM on 09/24/09
I don't make fruitcakes because I don't like them but in other applications my attitude is - what the heck give it a shot. Or make both. But I'm not clear if you're saying you're weary/tired of fruitcake or wary/cautious about making it? If it's that you're tired of doing all that work then you probably don't want to make both :^)
tapioca at 6:28PM on 09/24/09
Sorry! Wary:) But making both would make me weary too.
bigfatmouth at 7:16PM on 09/24/09
@bigfatmouth lol Seriously I say go for it and report back. Really, worst case is it's awful and you have a funny story but it could turn out to be wonderful.
tapioca at 7:39PM on 09/24/09
I've not tried the fruitcake you mention but why not do one for a trial run? You certainly have enough time to experiment. (Though if you've been through Costco, the holidays may be closer than you think.) You can also try Alton Brown's fruitcake as well. This one looks great - Fanny Farmer on epicurious.com.
I've always loved this one from Martha Stewart. She douses it with rum weekly till Christmas.
Thanks for mentioning "wary." XH-3 always made that mistake and then got pissed when I'd correct him.
therealchiffonade at 7:45PM on 09/24/09
I usually buy a nice brick of Claxton for the Tomato house.
I will not bake a fruitcake but instead make Cucidati (italian fig cookies)
The only fruitcake we know is not allowed here anymore LMAO.
JerzeeTomato at 11:22PM on 09/24/09
I like the Martha fruitcake - the one that makes a huge amount. I sterilize my sink, and mix it up there.
dksbook at 12:09PM on 09/25/09
@bigfatmouth, was it the fruit or was it the booze or was it the batter that made those bad fruitcakes bad? I use Julia's lovely batter recipe, substituting orange juice and 1/3 cup rum for all of the liquor. I use red and green glace cherries for their color, but I use dried apricots, golden raisins, dried pineapple and dried cranberries in place of the candied fruit. And I use the equivalent in cinnamon instead of all the spices she uses. I call it "Beginner's Fruitcake" because it doesn't have the bite of normal fruitcake--kind of like the reason there's training wheels on a bike, and now none of my kids wrinkle their noses at fruitcake, mine or anyone else's.
I've never tried Martha's recipe. Edna Lewis' recipe looks good, though, too. Maybe I'll buck tradition this year and try them.
@JerzeeTomato, hooray! It's almost time! I make cucidati, too. My husband's uncle by marriage was named Romeo Cimino. He gave me the family recipe (and also his recipe for Banshees). The cookies are really good, sort of like fig newtons for adults, but one thing bothers me--it calls for bourbon, but is that authentic? Wouldn't mezzaluna or marsala or Amaretto or grappa work just as well? It's the only cucidati recipe I've seen that calls for booze. I guess that's sorta like fruitcake.
betteirene at 5:46PM on 09/25/09