When I was a young married woman, eons ago, the making of the Christmas cake (or "fruit cake," the recipes also interchangeable with "wedding cake") was still a big tradition in many families. The recipe ingredients included a lot of dried fruits-- some that looked and tasted not anything like the original fresh fruits-- and the usual feasting culprits: sugar, dairy, eggs and alcohol. The preparation that went into the cakes generally involved a lot of soaking (in alcohol) that could extend to many days. With all the ingredients in, your typical fruit cake was dense and heavy enough to be used as a door-stop, if need be. There were "light" and "dark" fruit cakes in my family. The light cakes probably used less soaked fruits and were baked for a shorter period of time? The dark cakes had a slightly bitter, burnt taste. I preferred the light cakes that my Auntie Geneva baked every year and sent out. They were sweeter and tended to h
Living the Green Life