Smoked Fruitcake

rivet · Aug 16, 2009

There are 2 kinds of people in the world- those who love fruitcake and those who don't.

I am definitely in the fruitcake lovers half!

Mrs Rivet feeds my fruitcake jones by making about a dozen or so every christmastime, and we deepfreeze them so I can enjoy a good fruitcake all year long. Now mind you, my fruitcake cannot have nuts in it, nor any of that fancy-dancy chocolate kisses and other candy cr** people put in nowadays. Got to have the real thing- just fruit, cake and a touch of Wild Turkey spritz once it's done.

Why? Cause I don't like nuts and bits of "crunchy things" in my food.

Well, rooting around the deepfreeze today huntin for some steaks, I found the last 2 fruitcakes of the year! WOO-HOO! Gonna smoke 'em!

Here they are-

Into the smoker at 220 and a foil packet of mesquite. Also picked a few jalapenos from the garden and 3 Satan's Kiss Italian hot peppers too. They are the ones in front-

After 2 hours of snokey goodness I took em out. The top just barely crisped up....perfect!

And after cooling, I sliced one up. Very nice, and the guys at work will love this when I share it tomorrow!

thestealth · Aug 16, 2009

I've never had a fruitcake that I liked, but all the ones I've ever had have been as dry as a popcorn fart.

fire it up · Aug 16, 2009

Smoked fruitcake.
I think you get the award for Mad Scientist smoker of the year award.
I had always heard about how gross fruitcakes are and using them for doorstops and the likes until I actually tried one and you know what? It was really good, I don't know why people despise them so much.
Smoking one was definitely and interesting and evidently successful experiment.
Points for being daring enough to try it.

*See! You make so many good smokes I need to spread some around before I can give you points again. Here's an I.O.U pile of points

rivet · Aug 16, 2009

Well, Stealth, that's cuz you never had a good home made fruitcake. Now I will admit, LOTS of homemeade fruitcakes are hard and dry 'cause the bakers don't know how to make a proper one.

It takes lots of butter, good flour and a gentle hand. There are good commercial ones out there too, you just have to look and try them.

Mebbe it's just me, but I've liked fruitcakes ever since I ws a kid and picked out the sweet cherries tucked in the cake. No one else in my family 'cept my dad liked them and he didn't mind me picking out the cherries.

FiU, you're great man! Thanks for the points but I'm not really a Mad Scientist, just a plain-old everyday guy who loves to cook and eat. Some folks eat to live....I live to eat!

I can't take all the credit for this. RonP hit the nail on the head with his post earlier today on folks pushing the envelope and this site being great. It's true.

Glad you tasted a good fruitcake, cause they are really good. Nothing better than a hunk of fruitcake sitting near a fire on a cold winter night and two fingers of single malt scotch.

I figure if folks can smoke spaghetti sauce, fudge, cinamon rolls, biscuits and gravy, a Taco Bell Burrito Supreme inside a Fatte (ring a bell ?

)
and so many other excellent things I've seen since I've joined then the sky is truly the limit.

Rock on, I say, and smoke what you like!

eman · Aug 16, 2009

My mom had a recipe for fruit cake that she passed down to my wife and i've never seen anyone who gave it a try that didn't like it.
Wife also uses it to make fruit cake cookies. (yum)

sumosmoke · Aug 16, 2009

The only fruitcake I ever ate, and enjoyed, was made at the School of the Ozarks. That one you smoked, looks as moist and tasty as any I've seen before! Nice looking sweet smoke, Riv!

beer-b-q · Aug 16, 2009

I love fruitcake, BUT SMOKED??? We always wrapped them in a towel and every few days poured a little rum on them until they were nice and moist and WELL, you know...

bbq engineer · Aug 16, 2009

Wow Rivet! Now that is thinking outside of the box!

I love fruitcake! (that my mom makes). Now that you mention it, I need to check into that...it would be a shame to let something that is a family tradition like that slip through the cracks...the tradition must live on.

rivet · Aug 16, 2009

Hey all, thanks for the good words!

I've tried for many years to make a decent fruitcake and they always turn out like the proverbial doorstop. Hard, thick and heavy, thought the squirrels seem to like them after I hurl the things into the backyard!

Mrs Rivet's are always light, sweet and soft...and I don't know why, even though I have watched her countless times make them. It is truly an art.

Smoked they are great, the sugars get a finely crispy crust on top and that tastes so good with the smokiness of the cake.

meat hunter · Aug 16, 2009

I second that motion. Rivet, your starting to scare me

. If I had any baking ability, I'd give this one a try. I've never had a fruitcake that I liked, but yours looks really good.

alx · Aug 17, 2009

Mrs. Rivet deserves the old thumbs up for taking the time and care to make those fruitcakes.I like em homemade to my tastes as well.Now smoking a fruitcake has all kinds of conotations....

Smoked fruitcake and T-Bones is so far out of the box I feel points are in order....

tasunkawitko · Aug 17, 2009

an excellent idea, rivet - i never would ahve thought of it but i must admit i am impressed with the idea and i give points to you and mrs. rivet for the inspration!

i do like fruitcake, but i agree with you that the nuts and other extras take away from it. we think exactly alike on that one!

what wood did you use? if i end up with a fruitcake or two this year, i will definitely have to try saving one to try this idea - thanks!

rivet · Aug 17, 2009

Hey thanks, Tas~ used a foil packet of mesquite along with two small chunks over the two hour smoke. Kept the TBS flowing steady and the heat low since the cakes were already cooked.

Got a nice finish....the tops of the cakes' were just crusty enough from the sugars but not toasted in at all.

Good to go!

We will have the definitive answer from the guys at work...

rivet · Aug 26, 2009

Well, I took the two cakes to work (minus what I had after the T-Bone that night, and a thick end-cut held back for home eating) on Monday.

A couple of the guys had already liked it fresh from back during Christmas/New Year, so they tucked in! The rest raised an eyebrow at the smoked part, but after watching the first two, all except one tried it and said it was great. One said his aunt made them and he would try smoking it, but admitted his wife and aunt would think he's nuts

I came back later in the day after last break and it was ALL GONE, so apparently word got out and it was finders keepers! Glad to know folks liked it and maybe I converted one more into liking fruitcake...who knows?

Thanks for all the kind words you all, and I tell you this is a keeper technique.

gnubee · Aug 26, 2009

Rivet ... that's exactly how I like my fruit cake. No nuts or crunchy things in it, lots of whole cherries.

Mrs GnuBee makes me some light fruitcake and some dark fruitcake each year. I slice them about 1/2 inch thick and pour a really nice stronger than all get out butter rum sauce over the top. Sometimes I top that with ice cream sometimes not. I am the only one that eats them. She makes a Macadamia nut light cake that is memorable. The macadamia nuts aren't crunchy because she grinds them up prior to mixing in with the other ingredients so you get the flavour without the annoying crunch.

Proper fruit cake wrapped in cheesecloth and mopped in Brandy and or Rum once a month while in storage then aged properly for at least 6 months is not dry at all and is quite wonderful.
I prefer an Orange brandy or Grand Marnier mop.

If you had fruitcake that is not moist and yummy then that is because it was not prepared correctly. Or the Fruitcake gods do not smile upon you.
So there.

Oh yeah and I never would have thought of smoking one. So

for originality. How did they taste smoked. Inquiring minds want to know, I want to know.

tasunkawitko · Aug 26, 2009

>>>I came back later in the day after last break and it was ALL GONE<<<

that says it all right there! you know how it is when someone brings food to the office: everyone is snealing little bits of it every chance they get, but NO ONE wants to take the last piece! well, it looks like they did this time!

great job!

ronp · Aug 26, 2009

[I can't take all the credit for this. RonP hit the nail on the head with his post earlier today on folks pushing the envelope and this site being great. It's true/QUOTE]

Looks great and I am glad to insipire you for thinking out of the box. We have some great posters here and are open to experimenting
and sharing. This place rocks.

the dude abides · Aug 26, 2009

Dude, I actually am one of the odd balls that like fruit cake...but you sir are truly freaking me out. But I guess you deserve some points for being the freak of the weak.

LOL

Smoked Fruitcake? There's pushing the envelope then there's just...oh well. You still get points for being nuts. Or lack of nuts I guess.

meatball · Aug 26, 2009

And I thought we'd seen just about everything! When I saw the title of your thread, I just couldn't imagine what was going on. Yep, you really smoked a fruitcake. Crazy, imaginative, wild - and I bet it was good too! S

mballi3011 · Aug 26, 2009

Hey Rivet do you think I could smoke the fruit cake that I have been using as a door stop since 2001 and it will turn out soft and chewey. Just kidding sorry i'm in the not my cup of tea group but I'm glad you like it. How did the peppers come out now thats right up my alley.

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