I prefer the Irish version... Barmbrack
That Time of the Year
- Thread starter FurCoat
- Start date
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An interesting take on the traditional fruitcake -
As you know in the antipodes, Christmas come around in summer, and it can be very hot at this time of the year.
Many years ago I had Christmas dinner at a friend's house. His mother served up a COLD (from the fridge) Christmas Pudding made with sago pearls (and brandied fruit and peel) with a COLD custard. Blood delicious !
I did get the recipe from her, but it is lost in the bowels of my wife's recipe
collection. And no, she has never attempted that recipe. Too foreign to her Celtic roots. !
As you know in the antipodes, Christmas come around in summer, and it can be very hot at this time of the year.
Many years ago I had Christmas dinner at a friend's house. His mother served up a COLD (from the fridge) Christmas Pudding made with sago pearls (and brandied fruit and peel) with a COLD custard. Blood delicious !
I did get the recipe from her, but it is lost in the bowels of my wife's recipe
collection. And no, she has never attempted that recipe. Too foreign to her Celtic roots. !
Yupe. Definitely a Christmas tradition in my house at least for my wife and I. Kids don't care for it.
I honestly don't know that I've ever had it. The ageing a cake idea sounds intriguing, and although I'm pretty solid in the DIY camp, I think I'd probably end up flirting with botulism if I tried it. I'll have to see if there are any places around Houston with good fruitcake reviews.
I like the bourbon fruitcakes from Gethsemani Monastery in KY:
The Abbey of Gethsemani (gethsemanifarms.org)
Thomas Merton used to live there. They make a bourbon fudge too.
The Abbey of Gethsemani (gethsemanifarms.org)
Thomas Merton used to live there. They make a bourbon fudge too.
I’m in the “no thank you” crowd. My dad is the only person I know who likes it.
I once had a student give me one as a Christmas gift. I kept it around to use as a weight for when students creased the pages of the textbooks.
I once had a student give me one as a Christmas gift. I kept it around to use as a weight for when students creased the pages of the textbooks.
That looks good. My wife makes soda bread from time to time.
Our neighbor would make it every year, with dates, cherries, pineapple and spiced rum and she always gave us one, it was delicious!
It was one of the many reasons I looked forward to Christmas as a kid.
It was one of the many reasons I looked forward to Christmas as a kid.
Never tried it, to be honest. However, my wife’s side does traditional Swedish Christmas fare every year. I like me some lutefisk and pickled herring!
And don’t forget the ostakaka!
And don’t forget the ostakaka!
My grandma makes a awesome fruitcake. She gave me the recipe and me and my mom tried to make it but it wasn’t as good.
My eldest sister used to send me and the missus a home made (her own recipe) christmas cake every year. It weighed a ton, gave you wind and bunged up your system....if you get my drift, but by golly, it was lovely cake 
Regards,
Jay.
Regards,
Jay.
One secret to delicious fruitcake - homemade is best, but if that’s not in the cards buy a good one. Then fortify it with bourbon or rum. Makes a Huge difference in taste.
Most fruit cakes taste like soggy raisins or orange peel, but I presume the "Pudding" traditionally made in the U.K. is very different from the imitations sold at retail across the pond.