{"id":2254,"date":"2019-12-12T15:28:15","date_gmt":"2019-12-12T20:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lionsdeal.com\/blog\/?p=2254"},"modified":"2022-07-08T15:39:38","modified_gmt":"2022-07-08T19:39:38","slug":"holiday-fruitcakes-for-your-restaurant-menu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lionsdeal.com\/blog\/holiday-fruitcakes-for-your-restaurant-menu\/","title":{"rendered":"Holiday Fruitcakes for Your Restaurant Menu"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Discover<\/p>\n

Fruitcake season is here, and with it, a golden opportunity for your restaurant to feature far out fruitcakes and attract the masses of holiday consumers to your eatery. While no one knows exactly how the dense, candied, nutty, sweet, and booze-soaked dessert became associated with the Christmas tradition, the fact is that customers wait all year long to indulge in the traditional treat. At the same time, they are ready and eager to sink their teeth into new and updated recipe.<\/p>\n

From Fruitcake Classics to Flavorful Twists<\/strong><\/p>\n

Typically eaten by the slice and popularly given away as holiday gifts, new flavorful twists on the age-old dessert include recipes for fruitcake cookies, bars, mini-bites, shortbread, and even fruitcake waffles and donuts! Decadent no matter how they are prepared, let\u2019s learn more about the culinary science and art of making magnificent fruitcakes. To do so, take off your apron, take a load off your feet, and prepare to take a journey into the past as we indulge in some fascinating fruitcake history\u2026<\/p>\n

History of Fruitcakes Across the Ages<\/strong><\/p>\n

Did you know that the modern-day fruitcake has been making the global rounds for millennium? Food historians have determined that the placing of cake loaves on the tombs of loved ones was customary as far back as ancient Egypt, over 3,000 years ago (perhaps as nourishment for the afterlife). But it was not until ancient Roman times that the fruitcake became popular and really took off. Touted for its portability and long shelf life \u2013 and hence frequently brought to the battlefields by Roman soldiers \u2013 the first fruitcakes were made of a pomegranate-pine nut-barley mash that was molded into a ring-shaped dessert. <\/p>\n

Similarly, during the Middle Ages<\/a><\/a>, fruited breads were widespread among Crusaders travelling the world and featured the addition of preserved fruits, spices, and honey. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As the sweet cakes and breads made their way into Western European cuisine in the 16th century, ingredient variations began to appear. First, the addition of cheap, easily obtainable sugar became common, adding to the recipes\u2019 density. Also on the menu were cakes filled with nuts, dry fruits, and eventually the introduction of alcohol during the Victorian era.<\/p>\n

By the 18th and 19th centuries, with each successive year adding another taste or texture, fruitcakes not only became synonymous with decadence, but they were even outlawed in some parts of Europe where they were deemed “sinfully rich.” The law was soon repealed due to fruitcake\u2019s prominence at \u2018tea time,\u2019 especially in England, however the Smithsonian Magazine<\/a> tells us that fruitcakes became a rare delicacy reserved for special occasions such as weddings and holidays. Continuing to be associated with decadence and indulgence today, fruitcakes have maintained their aura of specialness, making them that cherished holiday treat we see in such high demand today.<\/p>\n

\"Learn<\/p>\n

Fruitcakes from Around the World<\/strong><\/p>\n

Following fruitcake\u2019s trajectory around the world, Italian cuisine features a sweet-and-spicy \u201cpanforte\u201d or “strong bread\u201d also known as \u201cpannetonne.\u201d Germany’s famous \u201cstollen\u201d \u2013 a tapered bread-like loaf coated with melted butter and sprinkled with powdered sugar \u2013 has been a national treasure since the late 1400s and has even earned its own annual festival. The Caribbean Islands introduced a boozy \u201cblack cake\u201d, while Britain\u2019s fruitcake varieties have been likened to its plum pudding tradition, where the fruit is soaked in rum for up to one year. Bulgarian and Polish versions are called \u201ckeks,\u201d and Portugal boasts the \u201cbobo rei\u201d with a hidden fava bean inside (the lucky\/unlucky finder of which is supposed to buy the next cake\u2026). In Vietnam, the \u201cbanh bo mut\u201d fruitcake is customarily made to celebrate the Lunar New Year.<\/p>\n

Fruitcake Popularity<\/strong><\/p>\n

How popular is the holiday treat in the 21st century? In addition to the scores of store-bought fruitcakes that are mass-produced and the proliferation of homemade fruitcake recipes giving testament to their cherished status, evidence of fruitcake\u2019s popularity could not be more blatant than the real-time example of the Collin Street Bakery<\/a> in Corsicana, Texas. Specializing in the business of making fruitcakes since 1896 and famous for their sophisticated mail-order system, the bakery sells approximately 1.5 million cakes annually, with an estimated 30,000 a day at this time of year. As the familiar adage goes: The proof is in the pudding (or in this case, in the fruitcake!)<\/p>\n

Types of Fruitcakes<\/strong><\/p>\n

In general, all fruitcakes are concocted from any, or all, of the following ingredients: Dried fruit, fruit rind, candied fruit, nuts, spices, and optional liquor or brandy. Some cakes are steeped in rum, for example, while others are booze-free. <\/p>\n

Fruitcakes can be classified into two types:<\/strong><\/p>\n