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This Is Not Your Neighbor's Fruitcake

Anna Monette Roberts — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:24:27 PST

Yes, I know how terrible it can be to receive the dreaded brick of a fruitcake from your neighbor down the street. With indistinguishable fruit and boozy odor, the fruitcake has earned the reputation of being the worst confection to receive during Christmas . . . until now! This particular recipe is filled with dried fruit favorites like mango, apricots, cranberries, and cherries. Butter, rum, and sugar melt together to create a dense, moist cake with a crispy top.

But wait, there's more. In England and around Europe, fruitcake is traditionally served with a blue cheese like Stilton. The creamy, salty, and sharp flavor of blue cheese slathered on top balances perfectly with the sweet, sticky, and spicy flavors of the fruitcake. Serve them on a cutting board together at a holiday party or as an after-dinner dessert or cheese course. Are you prepared to change your mind about this dreaded holiday dessert?

See recipe and more pictures.

Does the Royal Wedding Make You Want to Eat Fruitcake?

Mandy Harris — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:47:18 PDT

We were a little shocked at Kate Middleton's wedding cake choice: the traditional, but bland fruitcake. But I'm even more surprised that as a result of her choice, fruitcake sales have spiked in some cities! Bakeries across the US, which are usually only able to move fruitcakes during the holiday season, have seen up to 20 percent increases in sales of the booze-soaked dessert, mostly for royal wedding viewing parties.

I've had a fresh, homemade fruitcake, and it was actually pretty good. Add a little creamy white frosting, like Kate's version will have, and I'd gladly enjoy a slice with a cup of tea at a viewing party. What about you? None of you listed it as your favorite (gasp!), but does the princess-to-be's royal dessert choice inspire you to partake in a little fruitcake of your own?

Actually Like Fruitcake? Then Check Out This Taste Test

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:30:54 PST

Fruitcake welcomes the Christmas season each year, but the feeling isn't exactly mutual. It might just be the most-loathed dessert of all time! But KitchenDaily discovered that while the holiday dessert elicited a predictable groan from editors at the office, there are some people out there who actually enjoy fruitcake: namely, their mothers.

In a brilliant move, KitchenDaily editors turned to the true experts - their moms - to deem which holiday fruitcake tasted best. What brand came out on top, and what was voted best doorstop? To find out, head over to KitchenDaily for the full story.

Fruitcake Beats Kobayashi in Charity Eating Competition

partysugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 03:00:58 PST

Takeru Kobayashi, once the unbeatable star of the competitive eating world, failed to break the fruitcake eating record last Friday. This isn't Kobayashi's first fall from grace: He was beat by Joey Chestnut in Nathan's Famous hot dog eating competition and the Krystal Square Off World hamburger eating championship.

To break the record, Koby had to eat more than 4 pounds and 14 ounces of fruitcake in ten minutes. He had never tasted fruitcake before and came just 6 ounces short, consuming 4 pounds and 8 ounces of the dense cake. While competitive eating may seem like an excessive, useless sport, this competition, held in Queens, was a charity event that raised money for the Food Bank of New York City.

Although the majority of you are done with competitive eating, would you think differently of the sport if every competition supported a charity?

Source

Fruitcake: Love It or Hate It?

partysugar — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 04:00:23 PST

In recent years, fruitcake has become one of the most hated holiday traditions. The bread-like cakes, which date back to the seventh century, are packed with candied citrus, nuts, currants, etc. and kept moist with brandy. In 19th-century England, a family's fruitcake recipe was a treasured heirloom. Today the fruitcake, with its fake fruit and neon-colored candy, is ridiculed and all but banished from the holiday table. Still, I'm wondering, is there anyone out there who enjoys fruitcake?

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All the News That's Fit to Eat - Dec. 3, 2008

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:30:19 PST

Whether it's 10 a.m. or 10 p.m., bacon has a place on the table. - Los Angeles Times
The art of perfecting the English scone. - Houston Chronicle
A roundup of all the new food video games that make suitable gifts for the gourmet gamer. - Washington Post
The illustrious Ferran Adria talks on what's next in the food revolution. - Boston Globe
There's a cocktail movement sweeping the nation, with several philosophies that differ in approach. - New York Times
This recipe demonstrates that fruitcake can be delicious. - Chicago Tribune
Sales for Beaujolais nouveau may be down, but quality of taste has gone up. - Wall Street Journal
Despite filing for bankruptcy, Copia wine center may reopen in as early as a week. - San Francisco Chronicle

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Posey + Waters + Knoxville = Crazy/Weird Movie

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:30:06 PDT

An indie/cult classic in the making, perhaps?
I'm so excited that Parker Posey is continuing to get roles and that John Waters (the mastermind behind the original Hairspray, along with Pink Flamingos, Serial Mom and others) is still hard at work creating bizarre indie films. And Johnny Knoxville is. . . also in this news item. The three are teaming up for Waters' next project, a Christmas film titled Fruitcake.

Mmm. . . Delicious fruitcake.
According to Hollywood Reporter, "The plot is officially under wraps but is said to center on the title character, a boy named after his favorite dessert. He runs away from home during the holidays after he and his parents are caught shoplifting meat, then meets up with a runaway girl raised by two gay men and searching for her birth mother."

Shoplifting meat?
Huh, for a plot that is "officially under wraps," that's a pretty solid plot description. Elsewhere I've seen the movie described as a "children's film," so I'll be extremely curious to see exactly how this Fruitcake comes out.

Source

Yummy Link: Bourbon-Persimmon Loaves

YumSugar — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 01:39:31 PST

Even though Christmas is over, it doesn't mean you have to stop baking. Especially if life gives you a load of persimmons. When that happens, you make boozy bourbon-persimmon loaves. - Bunrab

What Do You Know About Fruitcake?

partysugar — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 01:23:39 PST

Surprise, surprise: December is National Fruitcake month! Fruitcake has a bad rap and needs love. Give fruitcake your love by testing your knowledge of it. Think you know fruitcake?

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Take the Quiz

Merry Christmas! Cozy Up to Our Favorite Recipes

Susannah Chen — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 04:30:34 PST

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Merry Christmas, everybody! Hopefully you're snuggling by the fireplace with close friends and family, recalling hilarious moments or the best highlights of your year. Of course, as you're sitting treeside, you'll need a smorgasbord of merry-making foods to keep the festivities going. Check out some of our Christmas favorites.

Roasted Chestnuts	Roast Duck	Fruitcake
Bûche de Noël	Hot Buttered Rum	Gingerbread Cookies