In article ,
Steve Wertz wrote:

It's time for my biennial "Please Don't Give Away Fruitcake" plea
and survey suggestion.

I don't like fruitcake. Nobody I know likes fruitcake. If people
say they like fruitcake, they either:

1. Make fruitcake and give it away as presents
2. Are frequent fruitcake recipients and don't want to offend
3. Re-gift fruitcake
4. Lie
5. ARE fruitcakes


I'm a 5. Unfortunately, when I was a kid, I let this be known. Every
Christmas I got a fruitcake. Since I was just a kid, it was the
cheapest possible fruitcake available.

I made fruitcake once. It was more trouble than it was worth.

--
Dan Abel

Petaluma, California, USA

Dan Abel wrote:
In article ,
Steve Wertz wrote:

It's time for my biennial "Please Don't Give Away Fruitcake" plea
and survey suggestion.

I don't like fruitcake. Nobody I know likes fruitcake. If people
say they like fruitcake, they either:

1. Make fruitcake and give it away as presents
2. Are frequent fruitcake recipients and don't want to offend
3. Re-gift fruitcake
4. Lie
5. ARE fruitcakes


I'm a 5. Unfortunately, when I was a kid, I let this be known. Every
Christmas I got a fruitcake. Since I was just a kid, it was the
cheapest possible fruitcake available.

I made fruitcake once. It was more trouble than it was worth.



Try this one. I got the recipe here a couple of years ago from Margaret
Suran; I've made it with Turkish apricots, (I couldn't find California
aps) semisweet chips, and really cheap candied fruit and I thought it
was really good.

It's a lot easier and cheaper than my "good fruitcake" recipe.


Bishop's Bread (Bischofsbrot)

l cup boiling water [I use orange juice for extra flavor]
l cup raisins
l ounce butter
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar [I use less, because the fruits are sweet]
3 large eggs
l cup chopped dried California apricots (Turkish apricots do not have
the same flavor or tartness)
l cup fruitcake fruit or chopped dried fruit (apples, prunes, peaches,
pineapple, cherries, cranberries, etc)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Place raisins and butter into bowl and pour boiling water over it. Put
aside to soak.

In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and sugar. Stir to
combine. Beat the eggs slightly and add to the flour mixture. It will
be very dry. Add the raisins with the water. Stir until well combined.
Add all the other ingredients.

Grease two 8" x 4" loaf pans with butter and dust with flour. Divide
the batter between the two pans and bake in preheated 325 degree oven
for about 1 hour, or until wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes
out clean.