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  • #2246089

    Fruitcake like wine, an acquired taste or is it a fad to hate it

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    by bus66vw ·

    I was taken a back the other day at my thanksgiving dinner. When I offered fruitcake or pie, no one wanted the fruitcake. I made the off color remark “Good that leaves more for me”. This brought about a discussion of how much people hate fruitcake. It was a very enlightening discussion. Many days later, I have come to some assumptions and wanderings.

    It is time for anti-fruitcake haters club. AFHC (that may already be taken)?

    Why do people hold onto fruitcakes for a year or more and them recycle them by giving them out as gifts, particularly if the fruitcake is under par and they would not eat it themselves?

    Why do people make fruitcake and give it as gifts if they can’t make a good cake in the first place?

    If you give a fruitcake for the holidays, does that make you an evil person?

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    • #2879161

      My mom always made great fruitcake

      by jamesrl ·

      In reply to Fruitcake like wine, an acquired taste or is it a fad to hate it

      She’d make two kinds – one dark,one light, and flavour then with dark spiced rum and white rum.

      I have tasted some pretty bad fruit cake, but I always hold out hope for the good stuff.

    • #2879158

      Mmmmmm…. Fruit Cake…

      by cmiller5400 ·

      In reply to Fruitcake like wine, an acquired taste or is it a fad to hate it

      I LOVE the stuff. I always get weird looks :p Have you tried German Stollen? It is excellent! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stollen

      Also Panettone is great http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panettone

      Fruit Cake has a horrid reputation. If done right it is most excellent!

    • #2879152

      Don’t know if it’s “acquired” a taste

      by stalemate ·

      In reply to Fruitcake like wine, an acquired taste or is it a fad to hate it

      I’ve always liked it, but – like eggnog – usually wind up being one of the only family members digging into it.

      I did introduce my son to some good fruitcake just last night and he liked it.

      My wife and daughter never have issues with Panettone, on the other hand. That’s always a crowd pleaser.

    • #2879145

      It’s all that candied fruit for me.

      by boxfiddler ·

      In reply to Fruitcake like wine, an acquired taste or is it a fad to hate it

      Gross. Nauseatingly sweet. Blech.

      • #2879410

        Yes, its the fruit (if thats what you want to call it)

        by av . ·

        In reply to It’s all that candied fruit for me.

        I still have unpleasant fruit cake memories from my childhood. Ugly fruitcake with all the gummy pieces of fruit that probably has a half-life. It was like having gummy bears in a not so good, stale cake. Every Christmas we had one of these 10 lb. atrocities. :-&

        That used to be a big thing at Christmas when I grew up. Some traditions are best when not carried on.

        AV

    • #2879140

      The older the better

      by oz_media ·

      In reply to Fruitcake like wine, an acquired taste or is it a fad to hate it

      Mum used to make the next year’s fruitcake on Boxing day, wrap it all up and store it (not freeze it) for the year, that way the fruit would sorta ferment in the cake over the year.

      Christmas pudding too, which was very similar I guesss. have to use that hard as rock icing with the peaks (snow and mountains), true European Christmas cake!

      She hasn’t bothered since we all grew up and none of her grown children (my brother or sister, not me, I’m not grown yet)have done it yet. I used to get a kick out of chomping into money in the Christmas pudding too! Rivers of custard on a good fruity Christmas pudding, yummers!

      Now, if nobody wans to eat theirs, all the more for me of course! 😉

      Happy HO HO everyone!!

      • #2879138

        “not grown yet”

        by santeewelding ·

        In reply to The older the better

        Don’t.

      • #2879126
        Avatar photo

        OZ you should feed a Fruit Cake

        by hal 9000 ·

        In reply to The older the better

        Give it some rum or whatever else it was originally made with once a month. At the 12 month Mark they are just beginning to mature to the stage where you can eat them.

        But when they are 3 years old with Marzipan Icing they are delicious and just melt in your mouth.

        Of course it’s a good idea not to drive for a few weeks after eating some.

        [i]No Officer I don’t drink but I love [b]Real[/b] Fruit Cake.[/i] 😉

        Col

        • #2879428

          Yeah she did that too

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to OZ you should feed a Fruit Cake

          Mum would pull it out every few months and do ‘something’ to it. I think the reason fruitcake is often the brunt of jokes and never caught on in the US is because they generally make it with candied fruits and it just isn’t that same, its more like mush in comparison.

      • #2879125

        Sounds like

        by santeewelding ·

        In reply to The older the better

        The HAL 9000 has been subverted by fruitcake.

      • #2879118

        Danes look at cheese that way…

        by ansugisalas ·

        In reply to The older the better

        if it doesn’t struggle to get out of the cheese bell, it’s a juvie!

      • #2879400

        Ok, please enlighten me

        by av . ·

        In reply to The older the better

        Why would you eat year-old cake? What about bacteria and things like that? Ugh! Do you really eat that after a year? Eek! I hope Christmas pudding is not that old.

        AV

        • #2879106

          It’s all in…

          by cmiller5400 ·

          In reply to Ok, please enlighten me

          It’s all in the alcohol used in the preparation. Lots of good rum == very long shelf life 😀

        • #2879082

          Real fruit cake will last AGES

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Ok, please enlighten me

          A real fruit cake doesn’t need to be refrigerated, just wrapped and sat in a dark cupboard for a year, being unwrapped and basted every few months.

          Millions do it every year, however after tasting the so called “fruit cake” most people go out and ‘buy’ in the US, I can ssee your questioning it too. That’s not really fruit cake though.

          From Wiki: [i]”Most American mass-produced fruitcakes are alcohol-free, but traditional recipes are saturated with liqueurs or brandy and covered in powdered sugar, both of which prevent mold. Brandy- or wine-soaked linens can be used to store the fruitcakes, and some people feel that fruitcakes improve with age.”[/i]

          Jay Leno ate 125 year old fruit cake: [i][b]”Shelf life[/b]
          If a fruitcake contains alcohol, it could remain edible for many years. For example, a fruitcake baked in 1878 is kept as an heirloom by a family in Tecumseh, Michigan. In 2003 it was sampled by Jay Leno on the Tonight Show.”[/i]

        • #2879053
          Avatar photo

          AV Real Fruit Cake

          by hal 9000 ·

          In reply to Ok, please enlighten me

          Needs to age quite a bit before eating it.

          The very best ones like Scotch are measures in 10 + Years of age.

          They are not what you see Mass Produced Crap but hand made and Basted every month with whatever is the preferred Booze.

          If any Bacteria can live with all the booze in a Real Fruit Cake they deserve to live but the majority turn up their toes and die.

          A Real Fruit Cake is Well preserved. 😉

          But if you read any Recipes of the good ones there is no canned fruit and lots of Booze. It is left in a Dark place and basted every month and then only iced just before being eaten. The better recipes call for the fruit cake to age for at least 12 months but the longer the better they taste.

          Of course there is a new Traffic Offense here called Driving while under the Influence of Fruit Cake and it’s treated the same as driving under the influence of Alcohol. The only difference is you eat the first and drink the second but the results are exactly the same. Oh and you don’t need to eat much Fruit Cake to be way over the limit where as you need to drink lots of Booze.

          Real Fruit Cake is moist and flavored of the Booze mostly Rum or Brandy from what I’ve eaten but any Booze will do at a pinch. :0

          Col

        • #2879005

          but any Booze will do at a pinch

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to AV Real Fruit Cake

          Shhhh, don’t say that, we have American peers here. Two words, Coors Light! ACK! 😀

        • #2878937
          Avatar photo

          But that’s easy OZ

          by hal 9000 ·

          In reply to but any Booze will do at a pinch

          That stuff isn’t Booze. 😉

          Col

        • #2878864

          Relative, Col

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to But that’s easy OZ

          It isn’t “booze” to you or I.
          However to some….

        • #2879051

          Eew!

          by av . ·

          In reply to Ok, please enlighten me

          Thank you, but I think I’ll stick with just booze. American made or home made, the booze and sugar combo are way over the top for me. It sounds like a science project.

          I might study it, but I’m not eating it. :^0 Damn! If booze is that good at preserving something like cake, maybe I should be drinking more of it. :p

          AV

        • #2879030
          Avatar photo

          Booze is a very good preservative

          by hal 9000 ·

          In reply to Eew!

          But it’s not good for preserving Humans. It has it’s limitations.

          If you want to look at the most interesting Human Organ which can expand dramatically and then shrink back down without any Adverse effects you need to look at the Human Uterus.

          It can expand to many times it’s original size and then shrink back down without any external damage or marks. So there is nothing like Stretch Marks which would leave a weakness in it and risk the possibility of a Rupture when it gets used the next time.

          There is a Compound found in the female Body which enables this to happen and should be the basis for all anti aging compounds.

          [b]Oil of Uterus[/b] is the ideal Cosmetic Compound but as there is a Patent on it is not freely available but it has been described Made by Women for Women from Women. 😉

          Col

        • #2879027

          I get along with

          by santeewelding ·

          In reply to Booze is a very good preservative

          Eau de Uterine. So powerful is it, I get along with a mere tincture.

        • #2879003

          Yeah

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to I get along with

          But it only takes a second and you’re done for the day (when you’re young anyway 😉 ). Mind you, I can’t eat any more fruitcake but….hmmm, maybe you’re right.

        • #2878929

          Well if this is true

          by av . ·

          In reply to Booze is a very good preservative

          I should be ok without nothin’. :p Unfortunately, oil of Uterus is not enough. The Resveratrol in wine seems to help and as an added bonus, you feel pretty good dosing up.

          AV

        • #2879004

          You’d have to try it

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Eew!

          Kinda like Brussel sprouts, really good when cooked properly.

      • #2878774

        I’m guessing

        by ben “iron” damper ·

        In reply to The older the better

        That not only do you like fruitcake but you most likely ARE a fruitcake. -)

        • #2878773

          You come to tea

          by santeewelding ·

          In reply to I’m guessing

          And slap the man with a doily.

        • #2878759

          Too true

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to You come to tea

          What a heavyweight!He reminds me of one of those feeble handshakes so many people have these days. ICK!

        • #2878768

          Still

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to I’m guessing

          overcompensating.

        • #2878766

          I’m guessing

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to I’m guessing

          That you are trying to demonstrate your level of education. Well done, fine display!

        • #2878764

          Oooh! Look out

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to I’m guessing

          http://techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=339780&messageID=3403528&tag=content;leftCol

          You’ve got yourself a stalker…

          Probably one of those SM freaks a’hankering for a spankering… but really just a’wankering :p

        • #2878763

          A wankering is about right

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Oooh! Look out

          Or tosser works too.

          The wanker has been at it for ages now, I get these sicko ‘groupies’ clinging on sometimes.

          What happens is they see me arguing with people or defending my comments and feel that, if they have a poke too, other people will think they are cool and they will make new friends by aligning with my opposers.

          Unfortunately, unlike when you get it on your shoes, you can’t wipe it on the grass or find a piece of toilet paper to remove it. What’s worse is the attempts at wit, as seen above, which are anything but witty at all.

          Sad really, how some people choose to exist. At least, with the Internet, they have an outlet to try and blend into social groups even when they fail so miserably.

    • #2879403

      You can’t compare wine to fruitcake

      by av . ·

      In reply to Fruitcake like wine, an acquired taste or is it a fad to hate it

      Wine is liked by many people. Most fruitcakes I’ve seen and had the pleasure of tasting were hard as a rock and gummy. Wine might be an acquired taste, but fruitcake inspires bad fruitcake memories of holiday’s past. I didn’t know people kept them that long! Double yuk. No wonder I hate them.

      People give them as gifts because they *look* pretty on the table. Kind of like a festive ornament.

      Go with the pie. Most people like pies like apple or pumpkin, especially around Thanksgiving. Forget mince meat or rhubarb though. Ixnay.

      I wouldn’t say you’re evil, I’d just say fuhgeddaboutit. Most people don’t like it. My first thought on receiving a fruit cake from anyone would be oh NO! Most people give them as gifts because they don’t know what else to do with ’em.

      AV :^0

      • #2879399

        “People give them as gifts because they *look* pretty”

        by seanferd ·

        In reply to You can’t compare wine to fruitcake

        This is why you just stuff a wick in the center and light it to use as a table centerpiece. (Perhaps the initial ignition should occur out of doors.)

        I believe I have had a bit of fruitcake that I liked once. Haven’t delved into its mysteries nor gone hunting for the good fruitcake. My loss, perhaps.

        Where I agree that one should probably not compare fruitcake to wine, I believe the phrase fruitcake like wine belongs in a song lyric.

        Oh, I know:

        A howl and a whine,
        Fruitcake like wine,
        I’m on the hunt
        I’m after you

        Mouth is alive
        All gummy inside
        And I’m hungry like the woooolf.

        • #2879393

          Don’t you wonder what you ate?

          by av . ·

          In reply to “People give them as gifts because they *look* pretty”

          I mean, how old was it! I think its better as a table centerpiece, I agree. It would be cool to spray it with Krylon and put a flameless candle in it. I won’t be doing that anytime soon though.

          Hey, thats a pretty good song. Fruitcake like wine. :-&

          AV

        • #2879387

          In that instance, no.

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to Don’t you wonder what you ate?

          It was actually good fruitcake. Not one that looked like it should have had a light on the inside as some sort of disco ball or Star Trek prop. In other words, unlike every other fruitcake I have ever seen.

          So I have to credit the idea that there are actually edible fruitcakes extant somewhere. :^0

      • #2879105

        Speaking of Mince Meat…

        by cmiller5400 ·

        In reply to You can’t compare wine to fruitcake

        I love the “new” Mince Meat pies with all the fruit and the little beef they use in it. Now if you were to put a traditional Mince Meat pie in front of me, I’d turn up my nose faster than a hog eats his slop :O

        • #2879080

          Yup

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Speaking of Mince Meat…

          Sweet and often somewhat tart/sharp, but mincemeat tarts ARE Christmas…and bloody good too! Of course that’s mincemeat without ‘meat’ in it.

      • #2879086

        Then again

        by oz_media ·

        In reply to You can’t compare wine to fruitcake

        How many Americans can make REAL fruitcake? A leper could count them on one hand while his fingers fell off.

    • #2879076

      I don’t like fruitcake

      by maecuff ·

      In reply to Fruitcake like wine, an acquired taste or is it a fad to hate it

      But at least it’s better than phlegm in a cup..also known as eggnog.

      • #2879075

        Eggnog…

        by boxfiddler ·

        In reply to I don’t like fruitcake

        :-&

        • #2879070

          Traditional xmas foods at home…

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to Eggnog…

          Rice porridge with a big dab of butter and cinnamon suger, the traditional starter. The one who got the almond received a prize… some years the almond wasn’t found until last of the porridge went… that means hard work ahead (see the following).

          After which, the main course.

          – Roast Turkey (a couple of years we had goose, whoa, tasty!) with a gamey conutry-style forcemeat stuffing (was it maybe just dried plums for the goose – goose is fatty, no need for internal greasing).
          – Waldorf salad.
          – Candied potatoes (i.e. boiled potatoes, fried in butter into which is then added sugar towards the end of the frying)
          – Boiled potatoes
          – Lingonberry jelly

          None of that icky stuff.

        • #2879050

          Waldorf salad

          by av . ·

          In reply to Traditional xmas foods at home…

          Very fancy. I never thought of making that, but its really a good choice for the holidays. Do you have a family recipe?

          AV

        • #2879013

          I seem to remember

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to Waldorf salad

          chopped up celery sticks, walnuts, apples, grape halves and something in the mayo … powdered mustard, yes.
          Don’t know how textbook that is, but it’s good.

        • #2878928
          Avatar photo

          I seem to remember one Hotel Owner

          by hal 9000 ·

          In reply to I seem to remember

          Saying to a customer

          Sorry but we are all out of Waldorf.

          Col

        • #2878926

          Thats it

          by av . ·

          In reply to I seem to remember

          I’m not sure about the powdered mustard, but I’m sure that probably tastes good.

          AV

        • #2878906

          Just a hint of it is left

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to Thats it

          in the taste, brings together the sweeter aromas very nicely.

        • #2879002

          Well, I think we just ran out of Waldorfs!

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Waldorf salad

          LOL! Gotta love Fawlty.

          “Basil…BASIL!!!”

          “Coming, my little piranha fish!”

      • #2879061

        Now Mae…

        by cmiller5400 ·

        In reply to I don’t like fruitcake

        Homemade eggnog = excellent
        Store bought eggnog = barely passable

        • #2879059

          meh..

          by maecuff ·

          In reply to Now Mae…

          Mine would consist of just the rum.

        • #2878949

          With just a hint of…

          by cmiller5400 ·

          In reply to meh..

          With just a hint of Nutmeg to make it “nog” Leave out the eggs 😀

          Rumnog, now that’s a great idea!

          edit: formatting

        • #2878945

          I could get

          by maecuff ·

          In reply to With just a hint of…

          behind the rumnog. No phlegm like substance at all in rum and nutmeg. Still..will probably replace the rum with tequila and the nutmeg with a shot glass.

      • #2879052
        Avatar photo

        Probably because you’ve never had a Real Fruit Cake Mae

        by hal 9000 ·

        In reply to I don’t like fruitcake

        The really good ones get you plastered with only eating a small piece. My mother used to make Christmas Fruit Cakes just after the new year started and went through a Bottle of Rum to mix them and then another bottle during the year to baste them.

        Mind you she used a French Weeding Cake Recipe and if you got one of her Fruit Cakes it was something to be treasured and eaten very slowly.

        The Dried Fruit was so moist and full of Rum that you couldn’t eat large pieces but it was lovely and rich.

        Pity that you couldn’t legally drive for a week after eating any though. 🙁

        Col

    • #2879058

      I guess that this would be American fruit cake?

      by neilb@uk ·

      In reply to Fruitcake like wine, an acquired taste or is it a fad to hate it

      A proper British fruit cake is made and then wrapped in foil and stored until required. It is periodically “fed” with brandy or sherry through holes pierced all over the top with a cocktail stick. Four or five months’ feeding for a Christmas Cake isn’t too long!

      What’s not to like about that?

      🙂

      • #2879056

        In reading through this thread

        by boxfiddler ·

        In reply to I guess that this would be American fruit cake?

        I conclude I might oughtta add proper fruitcake to my repertoire.

      • #2878998

        Get to the heart of it

        by madsmaddad ·

        In reply to I guess that this would be American fruit cake?

        Do you still have those hypodermics you use to refill ink cartridges? Use them to inject rum/brandy whatever in to the heart of the cake.

        • #2878863

          Caution

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Get to the heart of it

          Just make sure the rum or brandy isn’t also cleaing old printer ink out of the syringe.

      • #2878952

        That

        by maecuff ·

        In reply to I guess that this would be American fruit cake?

        actually sounds worth trying.

        • #2878901

          Here’s a Britcake recipe

          by neilb@uk ·

          In reply to That

          http://www.joyofbaking.com/FruitCake.html

          It’s an American site but the recipe is from Nigel Slater, British TV cook, and I generally like what he does. They have converted the quantities so no need for me to do it.

          🙂

          I’m sure that you could feed the cake tequila, if you want to.

          :p

        • #2878897

          Scary…

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to Here’s a Britcake recipe

          Vintage Mescalin fruitcake!!!

        • #2878861

          Didn’t Timothy Leary do that?

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Scary…

          Oh no, that was LSD, same thing.

        • #2878862

          That’s just nasty!! There’s no cactus in fruitcake!

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Here’s a Britcake recipe

          Using Rum, good scotch etc. brings out the fruity flavours in the cake too. I think you’re better off using liquor that is made with a lot of fermented fruits. Tequilla is a cacti liquor, I don’t think Blue Agave is used in most Christmas cakes, unless things have changed now. (Insert Mr.Yuck grimace here)

        • #2878860

          Liquor made from fruits… not many.

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to That’s just nasty!! There’s no cactus in fruitcake!

          At least not many I’d recommend for slow accumulation… even the ones made from grapes have nastyish compounds in them.
          Armagnac is the least scary thing made from grapes I can think of, it has some of those complex hangover-multiplying compounds, but not nearly as much as cognac has.
          Rum is from sugar canes, and whisky is from grain, those are much purer sugar sources than fruit and give less complex mixes.
          I’d not recommend a Lagavulin for fruit cake either… it might well taste like tar-oil by the end of the year.
          Vodka is from potatoes, but that’s maybe too pure… can’t say though.
          Gin with the juniper berries… might be risky.

        • #2878808

          Wait. So, no Slivovtz for you?

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to Liquor made from fruits… not many.

          Really, sometimes I get a hang-on(?) within 15 minutes after drinking some awful beers or some Champagnes or other sparkling wines, including some rather pricey ones. Had a massive banging headache the size of Denmark one New Year’s Day from a very nice Champagne. At least this seems to pass in an hour or so.

          “I’d not recommend a Lagavulin for fruit cake either.”

          You’re right. Jägermeister it is!

          edit: Picky forum software.

        • #2878781

          Indeed no…

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to Wait. So, no Slivovtz for you?

          Nor other raki.
          Of course, some of those could be good in fruit cake.
          But I don’t drink alcohol no more, so no slivovic.

        • #2878771

          You think? Think again.

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Liquor made from fruits… not many.

          Eau-De-Vie

          A wide range of colorless fruit brandies. Stone fruit, such as cherries, plums, apricots, and peaches, are most frequently used, but berries also flavor some of the best-known eau-de-vie. [b]The fruits generally have so much natural sugar that the mash reaches 40 percent alcohol content by Volume, or 80 proof, during fermentation, so extra sugar is needed. [/b]One of the best-known examples is kirsch, or French cherry eau-de-vie, also called Kirschwasser in Germany. It is produced from fully ripe fermenting cherries or from their juice, without any additional sugar and alcohol.

          Another well-known fruit spirit is Calvados, an apple brandy made horn the cider produced in Normandy in France. Under French law, the name “Calvados” can only be applied to distillations of cider which come from 11 specific areas. After distillation, Calvados is stored in oak or chestnut barrels and matured for at least two years. The older Calvados is, the more velvety and aromatic its taste.

          Other apple spirits, which can not be labeled as Calvados, are known as eau-de-vie de pomme, apple brandy, or aquardiente di sidre in Spain. [b]In the United States, applejack is a domestic example of an apple brandy from Austria and Germany, Obstler is made from freshly fermented tipples or pears, or a combination of both.[/b] The fruit variety must be listed on the label, and most brands are between 80 and 100 proof.

          MY favorite, Glennmorangie Scotch is also fruit finished. peaches, apricots, pears etc.

          In fact adding a dram of distilled water to Scotch isn’t for the purpose of watering it down at all (as many people think), it is to extract the fruit flavours and nose from the Scotch.

          In conclusion, Brandy, Scotch, Cognac and many other liquors that people would infuse a fruit cake with are indeed VERY fruity.

        • #2878767

          I stand corrected

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to You think? Think again.

          …which of those would you recommend?

          I think a couple of years worth of kirschwasser would be scary. But that may be the entire point.

        • #2878756

          For fruitcake?

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to You think? Think again.

          Brandy is all I know, maybe dad opened it up a slipped in some of his preferred spirits once in a while but as far as I know it was usually Brandy.

          If you are asking about Scotch, mmmmm, Scoooooootch, then I am completely sold on Glenmorangie. Even their blends rival many single malts.

          Sherry and Portwood finishes, are my favorite, unless I can afford the Malaga Cask but even the Sherry Wood finish is nealy $100 in Canadian liquor stores.

          Their names change ALL the time though as they craft different bottles, not like a mass brewer that punches out the same formula every day, week, year.

          When I was in Scotland last, I made it to the Glenfiddich distillery but missed out on Glenmorangie as they were closed. 🙁

          I salute the sixteen men of Tain that make it all a reality.

          http://www.glenmorangie.com/our-whiskies/the-original

        • #2878753

          Applejack,

          by neilb@uk ·

          In reply to You think? Think again.

          has been made in European cider regions for a thousand years or more. Because home distillation is illegal, it does seem to be an attractive method to get strong booze.

          Take some good, very dry cider and leave it somewhere cold – a few degrees below 0 Celsius but not much colder. Scrape out the ice crystals periodically until you have removed about half of the original volume. If you get it right, freezing really slowly, you will find the ice forms on the sides of your container and you can leave it there before eventually pouring out the applejack from the container’s centre.

          If you get it right, feed your fruit cake with this as it is will be intensely flavoured.

          If you feed your face then, from personal experience, this DOES give you a hangover and I don’t recommend it. This is because the congeners, poisons such as methanol and pentanol, concentrate.

          I believe that this form of freeze distillation is illegal in some states of the US. It isn’t over here but, in my limited experience, it tastes crap, anyway. The scientist in me made me try to make applejack – that’s my excuse – as an exercise in the triple point of alcohol water mixtures.

          🙁

          Pity…

        • #2878835

          Seriously, would you eat that?

          by av . ·

          In reply to Here’s a Britcake recipe

          I wouldn’t. After reading this whole discussion thread, I will never even taste fruitcake again.

          AV

        • #2878770

          again?

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Seriously, would you eat that?

          From the sounds of it you haven’t tasted it to begin with.

          Real fruitcake is absolutely delicious! Never judge food by ingredients, judge by taste.

        • #2878737

          I’ve had tastes of fruitcake several times

          by av . ·

          In reply to again?

          All the American version though – a stale spice cake with rubber fruit.

          Maybe its delicious if made differently, but I can’t get past that year-old cake thing.

          AV

          edited the title – can’t spell

        • #2878721

          LOL

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to I’ve had tastes of fruitcake several times

          I can see how it seems like something you’d see on Fear Factor or something but it really is amazing.

          It’s not some freaky tasting thing, it’s just like an American fruit cake except the fruit is real dried fruit, the cake isn’t spongy and gooey (more of a nut or banana loaf texture), it has that rich fruit taste and a hint of a nice warm brandy.

          Really delicious, thanks for that now I want a whole ‘kin fruit cake! MINE MINE ! !!! MUWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! ]:)

          Sorry, you’ll have to break down and make one, ‘baste’ it yourself, store, baste, store etc. Try a 3-monther at first and work your way up. 😉

          History of British Christmas Cake (recipes at bottom)http://www.englishteastore.com/history-christmas-cake.html

        • #2878824

          Thanks, neilb.

          by boxfiddler ·

          In reply to Here’s a Britcake recipe

          I may just give that a shot. 🙂

        • #2878769

          seems incomplete to me

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Here’s a Britcake recipe

          Maybe just due to tradition of having looked forward to fruitcake for Christmas, but without a good half inch layer of marzipan and then royal icing on top (a little sleigh and Santa helps too) it just isn’t the same to me.

          http://www.squidoo.com/christmas_cakes

          For those not familiar with royal icing, it LOOKS soft and creamy but is actually hard and sets like a frosting icing.

        • #2878751

          You can put marzipan and icing on if you want, Oz

          by neilb@uk ·

          In reply to seems incomplete to me

          But not until a couple of days before Christmas. Get the cake well fed, first.

          🙂

          I’ve been chatting to my old Mum about this and she remembers her mother making the Christmas cake on the equinox, September 21st, and alternating brandy and Sherry until December.

        • #2878745

          Wow

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to You can put marzipan and icing on if you want, Oz

          witchcrafty!

        • #2878743

          I was very careful

          by neilb@uk ·

          In reply to Wow

          not to ever annoy my old Gran!

          😀

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