Catholic Ragemonkey

The Whole House Smells Like Christmas

As I didn't have the penance rite in Guymon last night, I planned on waking up late and maybe running down to OKC for some Christmas shopping. But as I woke up at 5:30 a.m. I decided to get on some other projects. As it stands, I am sitting here blogging, sipping my coffee, and enjoying my latest baking effort. Yes, despite the irrational fear people have of this confection, I am baking four of them. Yes, I am making a fruitcake.

Right now, I have a large mass of dried fruit, which has been soaking in spiced rum, with butter, spices, apple juice, and sugar. The whole house is permeated with a heady spicy aroma. The reason so many fruitcakes are inedible comes from the candied fruit which cooks up to a rock hard consistency. Also, I was able to salvage a batch of cashew brittle by throwing the mess in the oven to cook out the extra water. It isn't pretty but the flavor isn't bad. The texture leaves something to be wanted.