Lots of people hate this stuff, but I just happen to like it... and like it enough to bake my own. Every year this is my tradition and the best part is that I rarely have to share it. Well, my mother will eat some, as will Auntie Marge, but I have to protect it from my beloved mother-in-law who would put it in her purse as she leaves the feast if she could get away with that. But I slice, serve, and HIDE the rest.
The recipe I use is from a rather unlikely source too: Geoff Smith, AKA the The Frugal Gourmet (RIP). He admitted to having "re-used" the recipe -- forgetting where he got it from.
This year I got a late start. I baked yesterday. Normally I bake on Thanksgiving weekend, and that barely leaves sufficient time for aging the fruitcake. Seems like we are in the midst of a candied fruit drought. They couldn't be found anywhere. I almost decided to make my own candied fruit but that would have made me even more tardy. But what a concept, huh? Maybe I should do this about March or April... when my Christmas cake is often totally consumed.
What's not to like about it - bourbon-soaked fruit bound together by spicy cake, and aging with periodic showers of cognac. One of my "tricks" (and it really does make a noticeable difference) is fresh grinding the spices. This year I used walnuts; some years I use pecans.
Am I one of the few who like this? Am I one of the few who don't get "grossed out" by a cake that has been stored for months before eating?
Think what you will of me... but this is step 1 of my 12-step program for fruitcake addiction: Hi, my name is Brian and I am a fruitcake-aholic! Please be supportive. 