h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Fruit cake marinated for weeks in dark rum? And then later eaten with a slice of very sharp aged cheddar cheese?

Just wondering.

azahar

azahar,

Thats the way I made my Christmas cake. Made it at the beginning of November then gave it a good drink of rum every week up-until Christmas. Beautiful!

Never heard of eating it with cheese though. Have to give that a try. Sounds good with a glass of rum.

The fruit cake I normally make is a bit lighter than the traditional Christmas cake. It's basically pound cake with fruit and some mixed spices and lemon juice.

Donald

Yes, I guess I was actually talking about Christmas cake. I used to make mine on November 1 and re-soak the cheesecloth in dark rum every week until Christmas.

And I never used any candied fruit (ick) and opted instead for dried fruit (apricots, pineapple, figs) and tons of pecans and walnuts. In the end it was a mass of fruit and nuts held together by a lacing of heavily spiced rum soaked cake.

Oh yes - try it with cheese next Christmas. But it should be a very sharp old cheddar, I think. I always had it with but then I tend to have everything with so . . .



az

I'm not keen on the candied fruit either. Dried fruit like currants, raisins, sultanas. Apricots are nice as well but not to many. They have such a powerful affect that they can be a bit overpowering.

I have been told that a rich fruit cake like this should be stored for a least three months. Sadly I have never been able to keep my hands of one long enough to find out.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/christmascake_2359.shtml



Donald

Ohmygod - I forgot to mention raisins and currants (are sultanas the fat juicy one? don't like those). I remember one year I made two and the second one lasted almost six months. It just got better and better.

Thing is, they cost a fortune to make (at least the way I made them) so usually making one a year was all I could afford.

If I can find my old recipe book I'll pass on the christmas cake recipe. The one you sent looks good, but I would never ice mine.



az

I'm just going to butt in here (hi, az!) and recommend Cheshire or Wensleydale cheese as the best to eat with Christmas cake.

So there.

RF

Cheshire cheese of course as that where I hail from - and proper Cheshire as well, not the supermarket mass produced stuff that looks like Cheshire but tastes like cardboard.

Or Lancashire if there is no Cheshire available as it is very similar.

Donald

I remember Cheshire cheese as being sharp but also somewhat crumbly. Can't remember if I've ever had Wensleydale cheese except I know it was always Wallace's favourite.

Wish I could find that damned recipe book. I know I brought it over from Canada with me, but because I have lived for so many years without an oven it might have been stuck in a box in the storage room upstairs. If this is the case then I will have to go search for it with 'help' as there are cockroaches the size of toasters up there and there is no way no day I'm going up there on my own.

az

Hi Azahar,

Cheshire cheese is crumbly, but not so sharp as a mature cheddar. It's a lot more creamy, all that good Cheshire grass. A fresh Cheshire can almost be spread like butter.

Dont worry about the cockroaches, they dont bite. They tend to scuttle of at the sight of humans. Just take a bright light with you and wear tight jeans and riding boots. That should keep you safe.

Donald

Well, I still think a sharp mature cheddar would go better with a dark rich fruitcake.

As for tight jeans - are you nuts? I haven't even owned a pair of jeans for about fifteen years. The most uncomfortable article of clothing known to man!

And yes, I know cockroaches don't bite. They don't have to. They just have to look hideous and creepy.

gotta go to work now!

az

Care to join us?

F119314?thread=421977


az

Hi Azaha,

Yes I will. As soon as I can find something presentable and not to ugly.

Donald

Aaaarrgh! Yeah right. That's what everyone says and yet I have still not seen one ugly person in that photo gallery.

Anyhow, shall look forward to seeing you!

az