WQED Multimedia

Fruitcake: It’s more interesting
than you think.

When my daughters were young, they were big fans of Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Reading about the austere life of families in the American West made their own lives seem bountiful by comparison. They especially enjoyed the descriptions of the holidays, when the children were treated to an orange, some walnuts and perhaps even a peppermint stick. When life is simple, simple things are joyful. Children on the prairie didn’t have long lists for Santa that included talking dolls and battery-operated toys.

And yet they looked forward to the holidays with just as much anticipation. In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the Cratchits gather around the hearth not to attack a pile of presents but to cheer the simple Christmas pudding of which they are so proud. For many years, public television ran a holiday classic titled “A Christmas Memory.” It was written and narrated by Truman Capote and told the story of his special relationship with an older, eccentric cousin who was a friend and companion of his youth. Each year he helped cousin Sook prepare the fruitcakes she would bake and then send to a list of friends, acquaintances and strangers, including President Roosevelt.

Without any real source of income for either of them, it was difficult to scrounge together the money they needed for ingredients, especially the mandatory dose of whiskey that gave the cakes their distinctive flavor. You may either love or hate fruitcakes, but they are an enduring symbol of the simple things like nuts and candied fruits and spices that people looked forward to as a respite from their ordinarily bland diet. I have found this replica of Cousin Sook’s Christmas fruitcake. It steams for four hours on top of the stove and permeates the air with the aromas of clove and cinnamon and allspice. Then it bakes for an hour in the oven to firm up. The finished cake weighs almost 10 pounds and provides a delightful reminder of Christmas past to everyone who visits your house this season.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds white and dark raisins, mixed
1/2 pound dried figs
1/2 pound candied cherries
1/2 pound candied pineapple
1 pound citron
2 1/2 pounds Brazil nuts
1/2 pound blanched almonds
1/2 pound pecan halves
1/2 pound black walnuts
4 cups flour
2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
12 eggs
1 tablespoon each: nutmeg, cloves,
cinnamon, allspice
2 tablespoons baking chocolate, grated
1 cup grape jelly
1 cup grape juice
1 cup bourbon whiskey

Directions:
Cut the fruit and nuts into large pieces and coat them with some of the flour. Cream the butter and sugar then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the rest of the flour along with the fruit, nuts, spices and flavorings: chocolate, grape jelly, grape juice and bourbon whiskey. Mix well by hand. Line a 10-inch tube pan with wax paper or parchment. Grease and flour on top of the paper. Pour the mixture into the pan and press down to eliminate any air pockets. Place into a large steamer, cover and bring the water to a rolling boil. Lower the heat and steam for about 4 1/2 hours. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and bake the cake for another hour. Allow to cool completely. Remove from the pan and wrap carefully in cheesecloth soaked in a little more bourbon and then wrap again in aluminum foil.

Note: The cake can be unwrapped and doused with a little more whiskey each month, then rewrapped.

More Recipes
Magazine Home
Printer Friendly Page

ABOUT US | WQEX | CAREERS | PRIVACY | CONTACT
©1999-2008 WQED Multimedia

TOP 10 ESSENTIALS FOR COOKING
Here's my top-10 list of kitchen essentials for a well-equipped kitchen:

1. An 8-inch chef knife and 3-inch paring knife. Make sure they are high-carbon stainless, forged knives. Avoid the "82-knife set."

2. Cutting board. I favor nylon or bamboo. In either case, make sure it is lightweight and at least 12-by-20-inches.

3. Measuring cups and spoons. You'll need a 2-cup and a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, a set of measuring cups for dry ingredients and a set of measuring spoons. Stainless steel is the most durable.

4. A 12-inch nonstick skillet with cover. Tri-ply such as All-Clad is the best for even heating. This pan does everything from omelets to sautés.

5. An 8-quart stock pot. This is essential for boiling pasta, steaming vegetables or making large batches of chili, soups and stews.

6. Colander. Get stainless steel with firmly riveted handles.

7. A 3-quart covered saucepan. This rounds out your pots-and-pans inventory for small boiling projects and heating canned soups.

8. A four-sided cheese grater. Freshly grated cheese is a big flavor boost for your cooking. This tool is also useful for grating vegetables and shredding lemon zest.

9. Sheet pan. This inexpensive pan has raised sides and can be used to bake cookies, breads and pizza, or to roast vegetables and meats.

10. A 6-quart slow cooker. This is a working couple's best friend. Ten minutes of prep in the morning yields a dinner entree and loads of leftovers. The models with the thickest insert provide the slowest, most-even cooking. Be sure it's at least a 5-quart capacity.

- Chris Fennimore