Fruitcake/Augusta Bakery
I had to have it. It’s the holiday season, after all. What dessert truly defines the lead-up to Christmas? Not necessarily in the realm of popularity, but in terms of a dessert that you would struggle to associate with any other time of the year. It’s a sweet that many consider not-so-sweet…though I do wonder if that’s in-part because many have *heard* others say they don’t like it, and so it’s cool to agree without giving the food a try.
Well, I’m not one to follow the crowd. It was December, it was time to be festive, it was time to have…fruitcake.
Actually, I was one of those who didn’t like fruitcake, but at least I can say it was based on me actually eating it when I was younger. One of my grandmas would send fruitcakes in the mail (the ones in the red tin, probably ordered from somewhere else to be sent to her family members). I can’t say that I, nor my parents, were too jazzed to receive it. I did manage to come up with a hack to eat it: have copious amounts of Cool Whip with each bite. Hey, whatever works when you’re a teen and you want to try to enjoy this dessert.
As I matured and my taste palate broadened, I didn’t find fruitcake as intimidating, but it’s also not the sort of dessert you can pick up whenever you feel like it. It’s fairly obscure; a recent post on the Eau Claire Foodies page asking for good local fruitcake didn’t come up with much in the way of places to go. However, one of the few was a place I *had* been meaning to go for awhile, and seeing that this place made their own fruitcake, I figured this could be a gem. So, off to Augusta Bakery I went.
They sold their fruitcake in small pieces — perfect for an individual eating. My wife is not a fan of dried fruit, so I knew this dessert was all-mine. Her loss. 🙂 This is how fruitcake should be made: the proper amount of chewiness, a nice balance of vanilla and rum flavor, plus a good contrast between the dried supreme fruit and the pecans and dates. This so did not need any whipped cream or anything else to help it go down; I did have egg nog with it, but only to complete the Christmas-y vibe. I am quite glad I learned about this rendition of fruitcake.
As noted, this was my first time at Augusta Bakery, so I got a bit of a haul to take home. I grabbed some seasonal Bismarcks, a donut, and, on their recommendation, a blueberry scone. All was enjoyed by the fam — I really could have bought a lot more. As you read this, we may be post-Christmas, which means you may have to wait until next December or so to try their fruitcake. Well, when the pieces are ready, don’t presume you know what fruitcake tastes like. Taste Augusta Bakery’s version. You might help make this a popular holiday treat after all.