Recipe

     Several people asked about the recipe for Christmas pudding which I mentioned the other day. If you click on the link on the left hand sidebar (just above 'Current Reading') you should find it.

Comments

[Nancy]

Thank You, Thank You. I wanted to ask but restrained myself. I'm not sure that we will actually carry it thorugh. That's a royal "we" here - since I no longer cook, my husband does.

I've never understood the seemingly universal dislike of what we call fruitcake here - and all the jokes about the heaviness of it or about making it into a never-ending, pass-it-on to someone else "gift" that never stops giving.

My mother made wonderful fruitcake - not unlike your recipe, just not steamed. She made whatever size batch she wanted for the season in November, wrapping each cake in a clean, brand-new dishcloth then in foil (in earlier days it was waxed paper). The dishcloth was to hold the liquor. She soaked the cakes with whiskey and wrapped them up - taking them out weekly to pour more whiskey over them.

My mother's fruitcakes were always very moist and aromatic - and popular. In high school, I preferred to take my lunch and usually created a stir at my table when I unwrapped the fat slice of fruitcake included. Lots of "Uuuummmmmmssss..." - and, "Can I have a bite?"

Fruitcakes: ingredients vary and choice of liquor - though, some abstain. I'm wondering how your recipe would work as a baked fruitcake rather than steaming it - and, how/why the choice of sultanas _and_ raisins which seem related to each other. I like the idea of including an apple - should insure moistness (have also seen carrots called for).

Again, thank you. It sounds delish - and I could imagine the scene and scents in the kitchen as your family worked.

[karen]

thank you!

[Peter the Flautist]

Dear Nancy, where is "here"? In the UK I have not noticed a decline in the desire to make & eat good Christmas pudding over the years. In your country what do you call "Fruitcake" in the sense that we would understand it in the UK?

[Nancy]

Peter, the flautist: "Here" - across the pond - fruitcakes are served in the Christmas season. All the ingredients are Very Similar to Christmas pudding - it's just the preparation that's different. And, fruitcakes vary from family to family (or commercial distributor). They probably are more popular in the Southern states here - I don't know anyone in New England who makes them or admits to liking them (I'm from North Louisiana - and now live in Western Massachusetts).

I just now googled "fruitcake" to see what comes up - and other than links to recipes or distributors, there is a wikipedia page. I'll leave you with that:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_cake