Fruitcake

I am aware of the general attitude regarding this food item. I used to count myself in that group.

However, that changed when I found this fruitcake which is made by a monastery located in Kentucky.
Not only are the ingredients superior to what you generally find in a store or supermarket location
but there is another aspect to it. They add bourbon. That may sound a bit contradictory but,
what the heck, they are located in a state that produces some pretty good bourbon.

We send these out to all the relatives at Christmas time and they all seem to really like it. We buy
two of them for ourselves to take us through most of the holiday season. Try it... I am sure you will
not be disappointed even if you don't like fruitcake.

Here is the link... click on Gethsemani Farms on the left side when the website comes up.

http://www.monks.org/

Tim

They add bourbon. That may sound a bit contradictory

Not at all. Adding spirits keeps a dense fruit cake moist and gives it long life. Its traditional here in UK when making Christmas cake (which is a fruit cake) to turn it over, slide in a knife point and add brandy or whisky.

Mmmmmmmmmm

[Jenise]

Tim, forgive my immaturity, but I have to admit I stifled a giggle when I read on the home page that the Abbey is "a training ground for brotherly love". In light of the depth and breadth of Catholic sex scandals, it would seem an unfortunate choice of words. BUT ANYWAY, you're very right that the quality of ingredients makes all the difference in the world, and that preserved fruits are not all created equal. I'm surprised that they don't go into any detail about the ingredients on the website.

[Robin Garr]

Tim, forgive my immaturity, but I have to admit I stifled a giggle when I read on the home page that the Abbey is "a training ground for brotherly love".

This is the Abbey of Gethsemane not far south of Louisville, a Trappist monastery where Thomas Merton lived. I take your point, but I'd almost be inclined to give these brothers a pass. Never mind the fruitcake, they also make an excellent, stinky Euro-style cheese. Plus, they're cloistered and don't have much access to little kids ...

Many of the monasteries in Israel and Jordan as well as at the Santa Katarina monastery in Egyptian Sinai make fruitcakes before the Christmas season, nearly all of those rich in either wine or apple brandy and all who are invited to Christmas dinner leave with a fruitcake in hand. Other than that, and perhaps as gifts when visiting dignitaries (church or other) invite, these magnificent cakes rarely leave the monasteries. A shame for these are cakes so dense, rich, perfumed and delicious.

To my rather limited experience (I do not receive that many invitations to visit monasteries that often), the best of these cakes is the one produced at the Trappist monastery of Latroun. Set in a setting that is pastoral and calls to mind the hills of Tuscany, the monks here live in silence year round and women are not allowed to enter many portions of the various buildings. When women are invited at Christmas the meals are set at tables in the caves (literally) of the winery.

Everyone in Israel adores the Latroun monastery and it is a popular place to visit the sevral monks who are allowed to talk invariably being fluent in English, French, Arabic, Hebrew and at least two other languages. And truth be told, they are charmers.

Oh yes. They do make wine at Latroun. The place and the people are so full of charm, intelligence and savoir-faire that I forgive them for the wines. Enough said.

Best
Rogov

Tim, you sound like you're surprised that someone would pour liquor onto fruitcake? I thought that was one of its main uses!

My mother used to soak the dried fruit in brandy before adding the fruit to the rest of the cake ingredients. Fruit and spices might soak for months in the brandy in preparation for fruitcakes for special occasions.
When the cake comes out of the oven it is pricked with a skewer so that additional brandy poured over the top can soak in. If the cake is made well in advance, more brandy is poured over every 3 weeks or so, which helps to mature and preserve it. it was tradtiotion for one layer of your wedding cake to be saved for the christening of your first baby.

I didn't like fruitcake when I was a child (and even later) because I found them far too rich. I do like well made fruitcakes now - moist heady ones. I despise dry fruitcake.