Dense Moment

Newcastle Herald

Saturday January 17, 2009

SCOTT WEBSTER

Fruitcakes durability and long shelf life  the

butt of most of the jokes about this holiday

treat  is actually the reason the baked

good was invented in the first place.

Roman soldiers carried fruitcake with them

during their long treks. Crusaders also brought

the hearty treat along on their search for the

Holy Grail.

Egyptians packed the fruit-and-nut bread

in the coffins of friends and relatives. They

apparently felt it was the only food that could

survive the journey into the afterlife.

Fruitcake was also tied to the abundance of

ingredients in the Middle Eastern region during

ancient times. Fruits and nuts were plentiful in

the Holy Land, so mixing together a fruitcake

wasnt difficult.

It also provided a special treat for people in

northern Europe, where those items werent as

readily available. In addition, fruit was a luxury

in winter months, and a fruitcake made in

summer or autumn would still be edible during

winter.

The fruitcake has evolved over the centuries.

The Romans mixed raisins, pine nuts and

pomegranate seeds with barley mash to make

their sturdy, compact cake.

During the Middle Ages, preserved fruits,

honey and spices were added. These days,

candied fruit, fruit rind, citron peel and some

sort of liquor are also part of the ingredients.

The ratio of fruit and nuts to batter is high,

which gives fruitcake its dense, heavy make-up.

There are several theories about fruitcakes

ties to the Christmas season.

Some historians say its because it originated

in the Holy Land. Others say it became popular

during the holidays, when English citizens

passed out slices of the cake to poor women

who sang Christmas carols on the streets of

England in the late 1700s.

Thats why there are a number of different

versions of the cake.

There are two basic types of fruitcake. The

lighter version uses lighter ingredients, such

as granulated sugar, almonds, golden raisins,

pineapple and apricots.

The darker version uses darker ingredients,

such as molasses, brown sugar, raisins, prunes,

dates, cherries, pecans and walnuts.

I have made a number of different cakes

and bread versions from the one recipe and I

give you a recipe for my favourite  pineapple

zucchini bread.

Scott Webster is a Hunter-based chef and

restaurateur and proprietor of Australian Culinary

Consultants. swebster@hunterlink.net.au

PINEAPPLE ZUCCHINI BREAD

3 eggs

250ml salad oil

250g white sugar

250g brown sugar

20ml vanilla essence

250g zucchini, coarsely grated

250g pineapple, coarsely grated

500g flour

20g baking soda

10g salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

250g macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

250g raisins

In a bowl, beat eggs with salad oil, sugar,

vanilla, until well mixed. Stir in zucchini

and pineapple. In a separate bowl sift

fl our, baking powder, salt, baking soda

and cinnamon. Mix dry ingredients into

wet mix until just blended. Add nuts

and raisins. Pour mix into greased and

floured baking pans. Bake at 180 degrees

for about one hour or until a toothpick

comes out clean.

© 2009 Newcastle Herald

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