VEGAN FRUITCAKE

Paul’s Fruitcake Corner

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the corner we eat fruitcake so you do not have to. I was a little hesitant to buy this ‘Vegan’ cake. It was in a plain brown wrapper and it announced to the world it was a VEGAN fruitcake. I took a risk for you dear readers. This cake was found at the ‘Market Hall” in Oakland California. 

This is a soft moist cake that is full of fruit; raisins, currants, cranberries, oranges, lemons, cherries. There are almonds and brandy listed in the ingredients. The brandy adds just a teeny tiny bity bit of warmth. I would say the cake is fruit forward in taste and most enjoyable. Bonus points for no preservatives or yucky stuff. I am not sure why the cake was hidden in brown paper and boasting Vegan. I am glad I took a chance.

P.S. I washed this cake down with a glass of eggnog; So much for being Vegan.

TRAPPIST ABBEY OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

 

 Paul’s Fruitcake Corner

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the corner we try fruitcakes so you do not have to. We are going west to the scenic Willamette Valley at Carlton, Oregon. This cake comes from the Monastery of our Lady of Guadalupe. The first thing that caught my eye was this cake was soaked in 120 proof brandy. In the words of “The Great One” (Jackie Gleason); “And away we go”.

  This is a dark cake with dried pineapple, cherries, raisins, walnuts and pecans. It is very dense and you get a honey like sweetness throughout. I will say this cake was a tiny touch dry. The melody of flavors rescued this slightly parched rendition of fruitcake. You do get a hint of brandy flavor which does not overpower or burn. They do boast 120 proof but it has mellowed and only flavored. Overall, I got past the slight dryness because of the wonderful mix of flavors and textures. I enjoyed this cake. In closing, I would like to quote Gleason one more time; “Baby, You’re the Greatest!”

SOURDOUGH BAKING CLASS

 

It is Sunday afternoon and I am at Café 1277 taking a “Sourdough Bread Baking” class. Jourdan taught us some of his wonderful techniques and pointers baking with sourdough. It was hands on because we scrubbed up and kneaded away. We got to create our own loaf that I attempted to decorate with my name. Did I mention we had snacks and beverages throughout our class? When we departed we took home some sourdough starter and our personal loaf of bread. It was a fun and tasty couple of hours. Thanks to Jourdan for teaching and inspiring.

ANNA MARY"S FRUITCAKE

Paul’s Fruitcake Corner

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the corner we try fruitcake so you do not have too. Today we have Anna Mary’s old fashioned fruitcake turned gourmet nutcake. This cake is 70 percent nuts and fruit with just enough batter to hold it together. (These are Anna Mary’s website words). This is a NUTcake for sure. There are lots of walnuts & pecans with just a few cherries and chopped dates thrown in. If you are a nut like me, this is the cake for you. It has a dense nutty texture and is not overly sweet. You do taste the dates. I am enjoying this cake and give it thumbs up. 

“We would be NUTS to call this a fruitcake” boasts the Anna Mary Company. Who is Anna Mary?  Anna Mary Byler was a kind and devoted Amish Mennonite mother of twelve. She was well known for her fruitcakes. Anna Mary is gone now but her tradition and fruitcakes are alive. These cakes are baked in Huntsville, Arkansas. Go Nuts!

SCOMA'S EGGNOG

Tis the season to be jolly and egg nog from San Francisco’s Fisherman’s wharf iconic Scoma’s restaurant sure fits the bill. This eggnog is very special. It has been aged for 300 days. It was made with 350 egg yolks, milk, vanilla bean, nutmeg, clove and cinnamon, cream and sugar. It is heated slowly and a bunch of booze is added; Diplomatico Mantuano rum, Yuste Aurora Amontillado Sherry and Vecchia Romagna brandy. How does it taste, you ask?

   The first sip of eggnog is a boozy brandy hit. It is warm and coats your mouth with a heavy cream backup. You taste a lot of nutmeg & cinnamon . To be fair the bartender grated some fresh nutmeg over the glass of this vintage brew. I did like it. It also cost 20 dollars for this drink. Would I order it again? I think a good bottle of brandy and some store bought egg nog would easily replicate this drink.

WOLFERMAN'S GRAND FRUITCAKE

 

Paul’s Fruitcake Corner

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the Corner we try fruitcake so you do not have to. Who knew that Wolferman’s bakery made other items besides English Muffins? Wolferman’s started out as a small bakery and is now owned by the huge corporation “Harry & David”. My two pound “Grand Fruitcake” arrived in a Holiday tin. When I opened the tin I immediately smelled nostalgic, ‘take me back’ fresh smell of cinnamon. Christmas has arrived. This cake is very tender and will fall apart on you if you are not careful. This is a dark fruitcake and has a pronounced molasses vibe. There are raisins, walnuts, cherries and pineapple. This is a moist cake that is heavily spiced with cinnamon, cloves and ginger. I do like the Christmas flavors/scents and Wolferman’s puts a really nice spin on this Cakefruit. (See what I did there?)

FRANK'S FRARMOUSE BAKERY TRADITIONAL RICH FRUITCAKE

 

Paul’s Fruitcake Corner

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the corner we try fruitcake so you do not have to. We are going across the pond to jolly ole England to try ‘Frank’s Farmhouse Bakery Traditional Rich Fruitcake. No expense or distance is the sacrifices we make here at the corner for you dear readers. I only glanced at the ingredient list. (I really should not look). Sultanas are listed and I need to ‘Google” to find out that these are golden raisins. Raisins and dates are another prevalent ingredient included with the usual list of cake mixings.

  Frank’s is not a very exciting fruitcake. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this cake. It is not overly dry but it could use a tiny boost of moisture. The sweetness of this cake is generated by the fruits; sultanas, raisins and dates. Sherry is a listed ingredient but is nowhere to be found. You have to be careful eating Frank’s fruitcake because I found several small unidentified hard wood like fragments while eating. I assumed they were nut shells but I did not see any nuts listed on the ingredient list. After thinking about it for a while it is possible to be bits of the raisin stem. I do like the flavor and appreciate the natural sweetness from the fruits. While, I did not do summersaults on Frank’s, I do want to tell you how much fun it is experiencing my fruitcake adventure.

NORSLAND LEFSE

Paul’s Fruitcake Corner

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the corner we will try fruitcake so you do not have to. In a small town, Rushford, Minnesota there is a shop that specializes in Scandinavian foods; Norsland Lefse. They make a fruitcake that is made with pecan halves, dates, cherries and just enough batter to hold it all together. The dates and cherries add just a small amount of sweetness. This is a chewy cake that is simple but yummy. I really enjoyed the modest small ingredient list and was happy.

ROBERT LAMBERT

 

Paul’s Fruitcake Corner

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the corner we try fruitcakes so you do not have to. Today we have a very expensive fruitcake from Robert Lambert. I want to get this out of the way first. This 1 pound cake cost 92 dollars delivered. Robert Lambert is a one man company, gourmet maker of preserves and fruitcake. He has a reputation of making high end fruitcakes and has been featured in numerous articles in media publications. He uses his own candied citrus peels of bergamot orange, Seville orange, pink grapefruit, pomelo peels and Buddha’s hand. In this cake there are walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts. Figs, cherries, dates, prunes, pears and the pears and figs are soaked in ‘eau de vie’. (Brandy). The batter is fortified with port wine and spices. The cake arrived wrapped in Jack Daniels soaked cheesecloth decorated by a fresh cedar leaf & candied grapefruit peel star. Let’s try some.

   This cake is boozy. It smells of whiskey and the cheesecloth is damp with alcohol. I take a bite and the alcohol is warming and prevalent. It has citrus and fruit overtones that are very pleasant. The nuts add a satisfying texture. This is a dark cake possibly by the port wine addition. I am enjoying it. I am a teetotaler these days and the alcohol is possibly making me giddy. The cake is complex and full of delicious fruit and nut flavors. This cake has a pedigree of select products and hands on production. Is it worth the high price tag? Here at Paul’s Fruitcake Corner no sacrifice/expense is too small for you dear reader. Only you can answer this question.

LEHMAN'S HARDWARE & APPLIANCE

 

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the corner we try fruitcake so you do not have to. Today’s cake is from Lehman’s Hardware & Appliance (tagline; “For A Simpler Life”). Lehman’s started as a small hardware store serving the local Amish in Kidron, Ohio. Today they are located in several states. It is interesting that this seasonal one pound cake came in a cold storage shipping container with an ice pack. There were also instructions to refrigerate. It does not really look very festive in its simple bricky block presentation. This is a dense heavy sweet cake. It is full of pecans, walnuts, mini raisins, cherries and pineapple. Overall, this is a very nice and enjoyable cake. I would suggest not reading the ingredient list because it does have the usual suspects of preservatives and chemicals.

Note to self; stop reading ingredient list

NEW CAMOLIDOLI HERMITAGE

Paul's Fruitcake Corner

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the Corner we try fruitcakes so you do not have to. Today’s cake from New Camaldoli Hermitage may qualify as a religious experience in the fruitcake world. It is made by catholic monks in Big Sur, California. This was a very special cake and really stood out as far as quality, uniqueness and flavor. My first descriptor is sticky. You cannot help but get this fruitcake stuck on fingers, plates and lips. This is a 1 pound cake made with cherries, pineapples, California raisins, walnuts, dates, and Georgia pecans, and soaked in brandy. It is a dark cake that is tender and moist. You get a small hint of brandy but this does not overpower. Overall this is one special yummy cake that is highly recommended by the Fruitcake Corner.

SWISS PANTRY

 

Paul’s Fruitcake Corner

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the corner we try fruitcake so you do not have to. Swiss Pantry from Belvedere Tennessee is in the house today. Swiss Pantry with Mennonite and Swiss roots is a small unique local bakery, deli and bulk food store. I love the ingredient list which is very short; nuts, candied fruit, raisins, sugar, flour, eggs, flavoring and leavening agent. Simple ingredients make this a very enjoyable fruitcake experience. It is very dense and heavy. It is full of fruits & nuts with the tiniest amount of batter to hold it all together. It is not overly sweet with a honey/brown sugar feeling. It is a little chewy in the best way possible. This is one of my favorite cakes. Get you some.

Note: This is a seasonal cake that I ordered over the phone (land line w/rotary dial). They took my name and address and asked me what size did I want? They said thankyou and hung up. Three days later it showed up on my door. There was no invoice and I had not given them any credit information. I called them up and paid for it over the phone. Wow, that is some trust and unusual for this day and age.

Gladys’ Bakery

 

Paul’s Fruitcake Corner

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the corner we will try fruitcake so you do not have to. Everything is bigger in Texas including the fruitcakes. Gladys’ Bakery boasts they have a 150 pound Worlds’ larges Texas-shaped fruitcake. I bought a two pound ‘old fashioned Czech pecan fruitcake loaf’. It is very festive looking with its top arrangement of glace cherries and pecans. It tastes very good with a moist, cakelike consistency. The candied fruits and pecans are generously distributed throughout.  The label boasts; No citron, citrus peel, raisins or spices added. “Hmmmm”. Hey, what’s wrong with citrus peel, raisins and spices? (Citron has a bad rap.) Against my better judgement I looked at the ingredient list to see what was added. High fructose corn syrup, corn syrup and a laundry list of chemicals were found along with cherries and pineapple.

Overall Glady’s makes a very decent cake. I enjoyed it but did not do any somersaults after reading the ingredient list.

DESIGNINATED PIE ROOM

 

 I am really starting to like craft fairs. How could one resist Holiday festival that sells crafts, baked goods, entertainment, pies and actually has a designated pie room? Our local church El Sobrante United Methodist Church has all that and more. This slice of peach pie and coffee set me back all of three dollars. I did not leave empty handed. I bought this pecan pie and assorted jams. Good times!

COLLEGE OF THE OZARKS

 

Paul’s Fruitcake Corner

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the corner we will try fruitcake so you do not have to. We travel to Point Look, Missouri to try a cake made from students at the College of the Ozarks. College of the Ozarks is a Christian College since 1906. The students sell hand made products to raise funds for the school. This is a 1 pound cake and it arrived in a smart tin decorated with the schools logo. I was really impressed with how moist this cake was. It had the usual suspects of glaced fruits and pecans. It was what I think of a traditional fruitcake. Overall this was a very good cake. Take a look at their on-line catalog because they have a lot of fun food items and a collection of “A Legacy of Love Quilts”.

DOMINICAN SISTERS OF MISSION SAN JOSE

 

Paul’s Fruitcake Corner

Welcome to Paul’s fruitcake corner. Here at the corner we try fruitcakes so you do not have to. Today we have a local cake from the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose. This cake is popular and if you do not hit the small window for mail order or their yearly one day boutique sale you will miss out. I have learned this over the years the hard way. The sisters make only 1,500 cakes and they will sell out.

   This cake is moist and flavorful. It is full of raisins, pineapple; strawberry preserves (unique), almonds with a brown sugar/molasses forward taste. It is cakelike with lots of batter and is crumbly. It has a fruit forward flavor which is very enticing. It does have a hint of brandy but you have to search for this nuance. I recommend this cake. If you do pursue purchase, check out the sister’s olive oil and honey. Good stuff.

COUNT ROCKY

 

 

It's that ghoulish time of year and it would not be Halloween without a custom pumpkin called Count Rocky. My sister is the artist.

GALILEO CAR SHOW

 

The Galileo Italian Club had a car show this weekend. It was a small event were members showed off their 'Pride & Joys'. It was the perfect weather day with the temperature's hovering in the mid 70's. Tony the pirate sold bbq and the bar was open. I would like to share a couple of photos.

NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK

  I do like snacks and peanuts are high on my list. When Planters came out with their "Special Reserve" peanuts, I jumped on the band wagon. These were not the easist to find. Luckily Amazon came to the rescue and delivered several cans directly on my front porch. Opening the sealed can revealed a wafting of a familar peanut aroma. These are going to be good. They were. These are the 'Spanish" peanuts and are on the large side. The red skin is edible and they are pleasantly salty. Would I order these again? At three times the price of regular peanuts I would like to quote the great W.C. Fields" "Never give a sucker an even break"
 

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