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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Gift Exchange 2018
- Thread starter Rudolph
- Start date
Or until they get the package and recognize the return address. I am pretty sure mine will.
All this talk of fruitcake!!! I totally forgot to make mine! I usually have a couple fruitcakes already made by this point and have them being spritzed with brandy each day!
Or the big red “U” stickers on the outside.
I was hoping for a fruitcake thread in November so I could learn what to do. I guess I will need to do store bought instead.
GearNoir
“The Disney Princess’s Apprentice”
Mmmmmmmm.
dkeester
"TSC's Master of Bourbon"
The Claxton brand ones are really good. My wife makes her own (and she is a seriously amazing cook and baker!) and she still prefers Claxton to her own (which is the opposite of what happens with her and most deserts).
If you wanted a fruitcake thread, why didn't you start one???
The Claxton brand ones are really good. My wife makes her own (and she is a seriously amazing cook and baker!) and she still prefers Claxton to her own (which is the opposite of what happens with her and most deserts).
If you wanted a fruitcake thread, why didn't you start one???
LOL I don't even know where to begin LOL. I thought they have to be made, then spritzed with alcohol for a few weeks. I was honestly counting on Don to start it.
But I am going to go the grocery store and see if they have the Claxton brand.
I must be missing something. The only fruit cake I have ever had was super dry and very heavy. It was also filled with fruit which I believe were really 4 year old stale gummy bears. Yuck! Maybe the booze helps.
dkeester
"TSC's Master of Bourbon"
My local Walmart carries Claxton at this time of year. So, definitely check there.
The traditional fruitcake is made early and soaked in brandy for weeks before sending out. The commercial ones I think don't actually use alcohol. It is a trade-off convenience for authenticity.
dkeester
"TSC's Master of Bourbon"
Harry & David makes a good one. It is gourmet and quite good, but also has a premium price.
https://www.harryanddavid.com/h/bakery/fruitcake/7046?categoryId=400160537
That LOOKS delicious. If I don't find one at the store this weekend I am going to order that. Splurge for christmas morning.
dkeester
"TSC's Master of Bourbon"
It is good, but it is also almost twice the price of an equivalent amount of the Claxton fruitcake. I think it is better than the Claxton, but I am not sure if it is 2x better. Claxton will probably always be the go-to commercial fruitcake in our house. (Although I think my wife's homemade one is the best.)
You can still make a fruitcake and just not have as long to spritz it. Last year one of my fruitcakes was only spritzed for a week and to be honest...it was almost as good as the one that I spritzed for two weeks.
If you are looking for a recipe, the Alton Brown one is really good!
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/free-range-fruitcake-recipe-1926833
If you are making a fruit cake here are a couple of tips....
DO NOT USE the candied fruit/fruit cake mix that you buy in the store. While I will eat the stuff...it is not good at all. Instead, get dried fruits and and macerate them in rum or brandy or something like that. I use a cheap spiced rum for this. Instead of getting a box of this and a bag of that for eight different fruits, save yourself some time and money and just pick up a bag of this: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Berries-Golden-Raisins-Dried-Mixed-Fruit-20-oz/47375926
Then just but a couple other things like apricots and figs.
You don't have to spritz the cake if you want to eat it right away...but it does taste better if you do.
If you live in colder climates, you can wrap your fruitcake up in something like cheesecloth or whatnot and put it in your cellar or even on your porch. If you live ini the south...wrap your cake in plastic wrap or in a ziplock bag and put it in the fridge. I had one grow mold once because it wasn't cool or dry enough.
Anyway...if you have some questions please do not hesitate to ask. There is still time if you really want a fruitcake. You can buy one from the stores...but there really isn't any comparison.
Your best bet is to find a bakery and see if they made one fresh...but it will likely be pricey.
If you are looking for a recipe, the Alton Brown one is really good!
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/free-range-fruitcake-recipe-1926833
If you are making a fruit cake here are a couple of tips....
DO NOT USE the candied fruit/fruit cake mix that you buy in the store. While I will eat the stuff...it is not good at all. Instead, get dried fruits and and macerate them in rum or brandy or something like that. I use a cheap spiced rum for this. Instead of getting a box of this and a bag of that for eight different fruits, save yourself some time and money and just pick up a bag of this: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Berries-Golden-Raisins-Dried-Mixed-Fruit-20-oz/47375926
Then just but a couple other things like apricots and figs.
You don't have to spritz the cake if you want to eat it right away...but it does taste better if you do.
If you live in colder climates, you can wrap your fruitcake up in something like cheesecloth or whatnot and put it in your cellar or even on your porch. If you live ini the south...wrap your cake in plastic wrap or in a ziplock bag and put it in the fridge. I had one grow mold once because it wasn't cool or dry enough.
Anyway...if you have some questions please do not hesitate to ask. There is still time if you really want a fruitcake. You can buy one from the stores...but there really isn't any comparison.
Your best bet is to find a bakery and see if they made one fresh...but it will likely be pricey.
So it is basically a booze cake??
So it is basically a booze cake?
Actually...no. By the time my fruitcake was mature...I tasted very little alcohol!
I don't know about how i feel about food (besides cheese) that needs to mature?!?