Joy of Uncooking - Fruitcake
In the spirit of the holiday season, let’s learn fun facts about Fruitcakes.
- In ancient Egypt, fruit cake was considered an essential food for the afterlife, demonstrating both wealth and respect.
- In the 1700s, Europeans baked a ceremonial fruitcake at the end of the nut harvest. It was saved and eaten the following year, in hopes of another succesfful crop.
- Considered “sinfully rich” in the early 18th century, fruitcakes were outlawed throughout Continental Europe.
- It was the custom in England for unmarried wedding guests to put a slice of the cake, traditionally a dark fruitcake, under their pillow so they will dream of the person they will marry.
- Johnny Carson once joked, “There’s only one fruitcake in the U.S., and it’s passed around year after year from family to family.
- On January 5, 2008, Manitou Springs Colorado hosts its 13th annual Great Fruitcake Toss.
Happy Holidays!
Raw Fruitcake
serves 4-6
Dried Fruit
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup dried pineapples, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup golden raisins
Cake
4 cups walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup dates
In a large bowl, whisk agave nectar and water together. Add all of dried fruit into bowl. Let set for one-two hours or until the fruit softens.
In a food processor, combine walnuts, seasonings and sea salt. Add dates and continue to mix until you acheive a sticky dough.
Transfer the walnut dough to a large bowl. Fold in the soaked fruit until distributed throughout the dough.
Shape the fruitcake in a 5-inch round or square or however you choose. Have fun with it!
