Do you Anons know how much it means and how honored it is to be offered or given a FruitCake for Christmas?
Really…the amount of time and effort that goes into making a single fruitcake is immense! Not to mention the cost! Dried fruits and especially the amount of nuts a person puts into a fruitcake can run that person at least a hundred bucks!
This year I made TWO big batches of Fruitcakes. I make them right after Halloween.
After they are done baking, I skewer them with holes on the top and drizzle a liqueur of half dark rum and half paisano wine...Rumzano Fruitcake I call it!
After I take them out of the oven, and drizzle them with Liqueur, I let them sit and cool for a few hours, usually until the next day….
And then, the fun begins!
I take the Fruitcakes out of the pans, and I take the Liqueur of Rum and Wine (probably sweetened with honey), and I soak pieces of cheese cloth in the Liqueur mixture.
I wrap each Fruitcake up int the Liqueur drenched cheesecloth (kind of like a little mummy!) and then I wrap that in Tin Foil.
I place the wrapped fruitcakes in a tightly sealed container (I use a rubbermaid container with a lid), and then I put all the fruitcakes in the basement…somewhere dark and cool for at least the next 11 days to mellow out!
At that point, you can either start eating your mellowed fruitcake, or "refeed" it with Liqueur and keep it setting for as long as you would like.
Some people let fruitcakes mellow for a year until next Christmas!
I have yet to try that.
But I have took all my fruitcakes and vacuum packed them tonight…they are all ready to be given out for gifts!
So, do not turn your nose up at a fruitcake that is offered as a gift; because that person, in all actuality, had spent a lot of time, effort, and love in preparing that furitcake for the year!
God Blesse You Anons!
And Merry Christmas!