Susan's Mom's dark fruitcake (was: Carol's light fruitcake)

[cubfanbudwoman]

bboyminn:
> Well, we seem to have some loves of Fruitcake here, and
> hopefully they will forgive what I am about to say. 

SSSusan:
Hee.  Forgiven, Steve. I've heard it a million times over the years. 
<g>

Steve:
> I find fruitcake to be the most hideous of concoctions.
> But keep in mind the only fruitcake I've had comes in
> round tins at Christmas time. There seems to be a
> standing Joke that their is really only one fruitcake
> in the whole world, and it keeps getting past from 
> person to person year after year, and never eaten. To
> some extent, if you have relatives you don't like, you 
> send them a fruitcake at Christmas time. Sort of a,
> 'here's your present, I hope you choke on it' 
> sentiment.
> 
> The cake itself is at the same time both most and dry,
> and heavy as a brick. The red and green waxy fruit 
> taste, ...well like wax.
> 
> Admitting that 'canned' fruitcake is far from the
> best, using my imagination and extrapolating, I
> still can't imagine that even good fruitcake is 
> much better than canned fruitcake. 
> 
> So, to those who love fruitcake, please explain the
> obsession with brick heavy waxy bland tasteless
> cake? Even if the cake itself were made better, the
> waxy fruit would still taste waxy. The cake in my
> opinion would be improved just by leaving the red
> and green balls of wax out of it.

SSSusan:
Well, the first problem is, that, yes, you've eaten that THING which 
arrives in a tin, which means it was likely mass-produced, without 
love (gasp!), and has been lying around for quite awhile.

Homemade fruitcakes, made well, are *incredibly* moist. Personally, 
I have found, also, that the *darker* the fruitcake, the moister it 
is.  (My mom, for years, made both light & dark, and I rarely would 
touch the light.)  

Part of the moistness comes from the wrapped-in-brandy step, I 
suppose part comes from baking at a very low temperature, and I'd 
guess the other part is using lots & lots of "the good stuff" 
ingredients and very little filler, which is probably what most of 
the in-the-tin variety is composed of.  

Yes, Mom puts in the candied cherries & pineapple.  I've never found 
them waxy, but I do understand why some folks might not like them.  
Still, ours is packed with raisins, golden raisins & nuts, as well, 
and while I could never swear that you would like the overall 
*taste* of my mom's fruitcake, since that's just a personal 
preference thing, I do think if you tried it, you would at least be 
able to say that not all fruitcake is dry.

So send me your address, Steve, if you want to take me up on this! ;-
)

Siriusly Snapey Susan