Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel
Terri Milligan
Holidays are steeped in traditions. Most are looked forward to with great anticipation. But some are, let’s just say, a bit less welcome.
Enter the annual “gift” from that favorite aunt, uncle, neighbor or fill-in-the-blank. Hermetically sealed in cellophane (lest the air hit it), and tucked in a decorative red and green striped box, is the annual fruitcake.
The very word conjures up thoughts of a heavy, dense, overly sweet cake filled with neon-colored candied fruit. Some fruitcakes are passed around in a re-gifting cycle.
Others may be stored in a cupboard for future use. Then one day, the cabinet above the fridge is opened and there it is, staring at you. Eventually you and the kids take it to the backyard and provide a holiday treat for the squirrels. Even they give it an inquisitive look until one brave squirrel starts to nibble away at the semi-petrified sugary block.
Let’s face it; seldom is a fruitcake actually eaten.
In the spirit of the soon-to-be-here holidays, it’s time to revisit this unloved classic and give it another chance.
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