Never was a big fan of the candy cane.  The crook broke at the slightest whack, especially when attempting to peel back the skintight wrapper or hit your brother over the head with it.  Besides, they’re messy. 

If I had to pick a favorite sweet for the holidays, Russian Tea Cakes would certainly be in the running- these light as air little cookies are rolled into a ball and baked, then spritzed with rum and dusted with powdered sugar.  Fudge is always a staple, but I’d take a mean piece of fruitcake over them all.

I considered regurgitating historical facts and fictions concerning this dubious delicacy  the fruitcake, but then I thought, “Why cloud your brain by reinforcing the negatives?  We’ve all heard the horror stories.”  So, I decided to proceed on a positive note. 

I briefly knew this really cool chick in Dallas, TX and she brought over a few homemade fruitcakes one year at Christmas.  I was skeptical because she couldn’t cook very well and, to be honest, I’d never really liked fruitcake.  Apparently, her lack of culinary skills and my past experiences were unjustified because it was fantastic!!  She’d included just the right amount of cake so that it wasn’t too gooey, and the fruits and nuts were spread around evenly so that you didn’t get big clumps of one thing all in one bite, and then nothing of anything else in any other bite.  Did that make sense? 

I think she literally bathed her cakes in rum and then wrapped them ever so gently in cheesecloth to breath and ferment for just the right amount of time.  What a lovely gift.  I thanked her profusely, and then thanked the Gods because no one else in my household cared for it!  Wish I could have saved some of it for later, but then, well, you get the doorstop metaphor.  Fruitcake is best eaten when received.

You might see a common thread in my favorites …. Booze!  Surprise, surprise!  I love desserts prepared with party liquids. Pears in Grand Marnier with dark chocolate sauce; apple tart with liberal doses of Apple Jack; my grandmother’s Trifle (she saves the high octane servings for me); anything set aflame, and hot buttered rum.  This potent concoction is a dessert/drink hybrid and very good at warming the cockles.  Now there’s a term I could write a newsletter about.

Whatever your favorite Christmas Candy might be, take the time to enjoy every bite. Don’t forget to give as well as you get and play, play, play!

I’m wishing for a fruitcake that warms my cockles.  We’ll see.  Santa and that chick from Dallas got a copy of this letter, too!!

Merry Christmas!!