Fruitcake

I am one of those unusual people who actually like fruitcake. Maybe it's because I've never been exposed to a bad one - or maybe it's just that I've never met a fruitcake I considered bad. Dried fruit, candied fruit, nuts, sugar, butter, and a little alcohol - what's not to like? I've never been one to shy away from rich foods, but fruitcake (like its rustic relative, trail mix) is so rich that it's easy to eat too much without even realizing it. So when I opened up the party-favor gift we all received at the end of our office party last week and found a cute little box of two-bite-sized fruitcake slices from West Confectionary, each neatly wrapped in gold foil, I was completely charmed. What a wonderful idea, and what an attractive present! Fortunately the flavor did not disappoint, and the cake tastes just as fruitcake should - dense and rum-raisiny, with just a hint of spice. It's different from the recipe I grew up with, but still evocative of merrie-olde-Englande Christmas pudding and a cozy nostalgia for Dickensian sleet and candlesticks. No humbug.