Fruit cake

[siduri]

when i was a kid (many years ago) we, as an italian american family, would have panforte at the holidays, bought in the north end in boston. It was hard as a brick and you could seriously break a tooth on it. (It was probably imported from the expired ones from the previous christmas in italy!) Then i came to italy and actually tasted it in siena. Apart from the many varieties which were all different and all good, it was actually soft!
But it is a very dense, all-fruit fruitcake - indeed there is no cake to it at all.
Instead in rome there is "panforte" which is similar, less delicate, i think, and is all this dried fruit wrapped in a sort of thin simple dough, in the form of a ball.
Then in bologna they have certosino, made by the certosino monks (carthusian???) and it;s more like a cake with dry and candied fruits in it.
But i really do prefer the anglo/american fruitcake i make and i have to say, everyone else likes it too. Maybe people think it's gross because they use store-bought ones, or fill them with candied peel.

[allie]

My first fruitcake experience was with Claxton Fruitcakes from Claxton, GA. My dad's employer gave them as Christmas gifts when I was a child and I was the only family member who would eat them. I actually grew up about 45 minutes from Claxton, proclaimed "fruitcake capital of the world". LOL Now I really don't care for their products......too dry and crumbly. That's what I'm really hoping to get around. I want a more moist, heavy consistency.

[Ishbel]

My cake isn't dry - it's moist and more-ish.... But maybe it's not to American tastes.

[Harpua]

Originally Posted by Ishbel

Here's a recipe for a traditional British Christmas cake. I usually make this during the first weekend of November - and then make Christmas puds and Black bun on Stir-up Sunday.

I think I will use this recipe this year. How do you think it would turn out if I omitted the peel and cherries, and added dates, apricots, and cranberries? I would also substitute some of the flour for pecan meal. Oh, and walnuts instead of almonds.

I'll let you know how it turns out... a couple months from now.

[qahtan]

[quote=Harpua;195518]I. How do you think it would turn out if I omitted the peel and cherries, and added dates, apricots, and cranberries? I would also substitute some of the flour for pecan meal. Oh, and walnuts instead of almonds.

I do this all the time,,,, I don't like almonds in a cake, but I do like ground almond in it, so when I have all my fruit together in a bowl I then add my ground almond, yes I prefer chopped walnuts. If am going to soak my fruit in rum ot brandy I find the ground almond absorbs all the extra, :-)))
The dates will give you a much more moist cake, diced prunes as well if you like.
The cake is only as good as what you make it of, butter, never any thing else, cream it well with your sugar, and try and add your eggs with out them curdling, have them at room temperature,.
I am sorry if I appear to be telling you what to do, that is not my intention.

qahtan