Nuts About Fruitcake

Napacakes.com; also available at Sickles Market

For some reason, fruitcake and Christmas celebrations are inextricably linked. Johnny Carson once said: “There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people just keep sending it to each other.” If it’s true, that cake is getting along in years, since evidence of the much maligned fruitcake goes back at least as far as the 13th century. The panforte, which originated in Siena, Italy, is one of the earliest fruitcakes in recorded European history, having been mentioned in the annals of the Crusaders. They found this thin, disk-shaped cake studded with nuts and fruits to be an excellent source of sustenance and nutrition on their long arduous quests. To this day, the dense, rich panforte cakes often contain 17 different ingredients to equal the number the districts, or “contrade” in the city of Siena. A non-traditional but nonetheless irresistible version of panforte is produced by Napa Cakes of California. This moist, rich cake is prepared in small batches and chock full of local ingredients such as dried apricots, nuts, chocolate and spices, but no candied citrus peel in sight. I would be delighted to find one in my Christmas stocking!



Stollen at Sickles Market

 One of the more famous fruitcakes hails from Dresden, Germany. The Dresden Stollen, which is still sold today at the “Striezelmarkt,” or local Christmas market, has a special seal depicting King Augustus II the Strong, and is produced by only 150 special Dresden Bakers. In 1730, the King popularized this traditional loaf-shaped cake stuffed with candied fruits and nuts and topped with powdered sugar by ordering the Baker’s Guild to create a 1.7 ton oversized stollen which fed 24,000 guests in a single day. The festival is still celebrated in Dresden annually during the Advent season to commemorate the event, however, the stollen that is now paraded through the streets weighs closer to 3-4 tons! The finest example of this celebrated Dresden sweet on this side of the pond is Balthazar’s Christmas stollen. It’s nowhere near the 3 ton mark, but this exquisite yeast bread is loaded with almonds, currants, tart cherries and brandy-soaked raisins with a ribbon of marzipan running through the center. You’ll want to order one ahead of time from the Sickles Bakery because they are in limited supply and sell out quickly.

For many families, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without the classic Italian sweetened yeast cake filled with candied citrus peels and raisins, known as panettone. Originally created in 15th century Milan, this cupola-shaped cake has always been a favorite at the holiday season, often served with sweet moscato wine or hot chocolate. The origins of the cake are a mystery, although many legends abound. Some say that a Duke’s falconer loved a poor baker’s daughter and wanted to marry her. The two lovers worked secretly at night, creating a rich bread with butter and eggs purchased with money gained by selling off the Duke’s falcons one by one. At Christmas, they added citrus peels and dried fruits and the bread was such a success that the baker became very wealthy, allowing the couple to marry.



 Pasticceri Filippi Panettone at Sickles Market

 I’m not too sure about the validity of the story, but I do know of a phenomenal panettone from a small artisanal bakery in Vincenza, Italy. I had the opportunity to visit Pasticceri Filippi this past September on a buying trip for Sickles Market, and saw first hand the dedication of the sons, Lorenzo and Andreas, to quality and tradition. They take no shortcuts in making the panettone and use only the finest ingredients in their recipes: Belgium butter, fresh farm eggs, Madagascar vanilla, Washington oranges from Sicily and Sultana raisins from Australia. Sickles Market is now carrying this hand-selected artisanal panettone for the holidays, in the classic style with raisins and candied citrus and also in a special version with candied orange peels and dark Swiss chocolate. Pasticceri Filippi panettone is a lovely tradition to start in your own home or to give as a gift. You may also want to try panettone French toast for a Christmas morning brunch. I have found Martha Stewart’s Brioche French Toast recipe to be exceptionally delicious and you can just substitute the panettone for the brioche. Panettone Bread Pudding is another creative way to enjoy this Italian Christmas sweet. The bread pudding can be made two days ahead and then reheated before serving. Add a dollop of mascarpone cream if you’d like to be extra decadent!

There is, finally, the classic fruitcake: The traditional dark, candied fruit-studded, rum or brandy-soaked variety. Queen Victoria herself received such a fruitcake as a gift and legend has it that she put it aside and did not touch it for a year. She intended to set an example to all of moderation and restraint. My guess is that she would have consumed it immediately with a glass of sweet moscato if it were a Pasticceri Filippi panettone, a Balthazar stollen or a Napa Cakes panforte. She most probably got stuck with Johnny Carson’s infamous traveling fruitcake. Hopefully you will be more fortunate and have a sweet, fruitcake-filled holiday!

Merry Christmas!

Cheri Scolari