12.03.2008

December 3: One Decent Piece of Cake

It's no secret that I love Christmas. But I've kept quiet about my recent discovery that I love fruitcake. Fruitcake, yes, fruitcake, that subject of so much holiday derision and mockery, can be quite delicious!

A family friend brings us a fruitcake every year. I won't lie, it does look like an old hardened brown hunk of yuck, but oh my god, it tastes so good. I like mine for breakfast, toasted and buttered.

I've never attempted to make one myself, but I discovered someone who'd like to share her fruitcake recipe with you. I'm speaking of none other than Fanny Craddock, who I happened upon while scouring YouTube. A sour old British bag with none of the warmth of a Julia Child, Fanny made a series of Christmas Cookery television specials which apparently are rebroadcast in Britain from time to time. I'm interested in the fact that she took her cooking show on the road, preparing food on in theaters including the Royal Albert Hall! That's weird, right?

Her Wikipedia article has some gems, including my new favorite quote: "Only a slut gets in a mess in the kitchen."

There's a warm place in my heart for fusty old broads who insist on the holiday spectacle; without them, I wouldn't be spreading my Christmas magic here. Although I'm sure Fanny would agree that as far as the kitchen goes, I'm a huge slut.

4 comments:

Squidhelmet said...

Has anyone ever accused her of being a man? She's great!

polly conway said...

Yes, the comparison to an aging drag queen is pretty hard to avoid.
With hair like that, wouldn't you get bangs?!

Anonymous said...

It took me quite a bit of reassurance from the internet to convince me she wasn't a (s)he. Lovechild of Rose Marie and Bette Davis?

Beadin By The Sea said...

That's hilarious.
I live in the USA but I'm a Canadian with British parents. I grew up with the Christmas fruitcakes every year and I actually like them too! My favorite is a light fruit cake but I can't convince anyone here in US that they are delicious!