No one really bakes fruitcake for the holidays. It seems relagated to christmasses pasts along with bubble lights and silvery strands of tinsel. Suppose, though this centuries old classic could be updated. would people want a slice? Yes.
Regular contributor and author of several dessert books, Claire Saffitz posed this question in yesterday's new York Times Food section.fruitcake has been much maligned over the decades with the former late night host Johhny Carson once joking that there was only one fruitcake in existence that made the rounds from family to family. everybody in the States grew up on the English version, which has a spicy , molassses flavor and a rich , tender crumbs thanks to a long aging process.It's basted or "fed" with high proof alcohol and then tightly wrapped for weeks or even months. Homemade and commercially baked ones are studded withh those unnaturally colored red and green glaceed cherries . Sugared pecans usually formed the roof of this creation, Creating a cake of this way was a way of preserving both fruit and cake in times when there was no refrigeration. The cakes were also coated in jam and then sealed with royal icing which also helped with keeping it for months and even years.
Luckily Ms. Saffitz's version skips all that. what she presents is a cake batter that has almond paste in it. Adding this will help with keeping the fruitcake moist for one to two weeks. There is no added liquid , keeping the proportions of sugar and fat high, fostering an environment in which bacteria can't survive.As a bonus the longer the fruitcake sits the better taste it will have. Her fruit selection is wide, Yes, there are cherries but they're dried deep red cherries, not the glaceed kind. There are also dried apricots, cranberries, prunes and currents. They're combined in rum and freshly squeezed orange and then the mixture is tightly covered in a boel. It's left to sit out until all the liquid is absorbed. The batter has the aded zing of fresh lemon and orange zest instead of the candied one which is hard to find in the States. There are the usual spices of ginger all spice and cloves. The finished cake is basted in apricot jam and then an icing made of confectioners sugar,milk, lemon juice and salt is poured on top of it.
Is it time to rethink fruitcake? Yes! This recipe proves that the holiday classic doens't have to be stodgy. It can be zesty and exciting too.
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