True Confessions

I hope you're sitting down when you read this, because I have a confession to make. This revelation may shock some and disgust others, but I feel it's time I just brought everything out into the open for the sake for full disclosure. So here it is. I LIKE fruitcake. Yes, that's right. I enjoy the dessert that has been the butt of so many jokes for so many years. The present that has won the Most Likely To Be Regifted Award more than any other. So you can imagine that I was overjoyed to learn that there is actually a day dedicated to the celebration of this unique sweet.

Now here are some fast facts that you may not know about fruitcake:

• Typically, American fruitcakes are known for being rich in nuts and fruits. 
• Mail-order fruitcakes have been around in the U.S. since 1913. 
• Commercial fruitcakes are often sold by charities to raise money for many causes. 
• The expression “nutty as a fruitcake” was coined in 1935 during the period in which Southern bakeries, Collin Street and Claxton, began to use inexpensive surplus nuts in their cakes. 
• Contrary to popular belief, most mass-produced fruitcakes in the U.S. have no alcohol.
• Some traditional recipes do use liqueurs or brandy and then are topped off with powdered sugar.
• Some people use brandy soaked linens to wrap their fruitcakes and then store them to allow time for the cakes to age. They believe that this improves the taste of the cakes.

So take some time out to enjoy a slice, O.K., maybe just a sliver of fruitcake today along with your coffee or tea. You may yet become a fancier of this much maligned confection.