Americans love to make jokes about fruit cake, but I have to tell you that it's not that bad! Fruit Cake is very popular here in Australia. My mother in law makes a really good one, quite light. She soaks fruit in brandy overnight before adding it to the mix and then the cake is slow baked. While it is still warm she sprinkles more brandy. If it is to be stored for a while then brandy is sprinkled on now and then. (Sometimes people use whisky) For people who refuse to use alcohol the fruit is soaked in orange or apple juice.
Many wedding cakes are fruitcake that is covered with a smooth marzipan icing and wonderfully decorated. Fruit cake is meant to be eaten in a very small piece, like a rectangle 1" by 2" or something. MIL no longer bakes a big one. She bakes little ones in tuna tins so we end up with a mini cake about the size of a large muffin. Fruit cake is a Christmas tradition, although you can buy supermarket ones year round.
What traditional food does your family have?
I really like this plate
so thought I'd show you.
Merry Christmas!!
Shari
PS I didn't build a house yesterday,
it being Sunday and all.
Maybe today...
6 comments:
My mother loved fruitcake. She once made a fruit cake and also included the orange slice jellied candy chopped up. It was really tasty and she used an orange glaze. Thanks for the memory. By the way, I LOVE your tea plate - so unique and adorable.
I guess fruit cakes and plum pudding are of English origin - after all they were the original white settlers to our country and set up many traditions we will treasure forever! No fruitcakes this year for me - my kids love pavlova and lemon meringue pie, though maybe I will also make a nice mango mousse!
Hugs - Lurline!
I have to agree that fruitcake gets a bad rap here in the US. I have made them in the past, very pricey with all the candied fruit. My husband loves fruitcake and his sister usually makes some and shares it with her siblings who like it. One of his favorite presents.
I love good fruitcake! It has a bad reputation here in the States because people buy that tasteless mass-produced kind.
I made a batch one year of several loaves and I kept them alive for about 3 years, wrapped in cheesecloth and plastic wrap. Every few months I'd give them a bit of brandy. They were heaven to eat!
ooo.. I know a couple of people who would love that little tea pot plate. :-)
Your fruit cake does look yumm. I can't say the last time I had a piece though.. you are right.. it's kind of been made as a joke here in the US lately. But I do like it.
I've only ever had store bought fruit cake and it was very dry. We usually design and build our own family gingerbread house. One year we made one that looked like my parent's house and one year we did a huge castle. We just did a tiny one this year.
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