MIL won't part with recipe

The Goods said:

Does anyone have a recipe for a white fruitcake that meets the following criteria:

- must be VERY moist
- must be full of bright colored fruit
- does NOT contain any nuts
- has no fancy topping, just the lightly browned top of the cake.

There are tons of <white fruitcake recipes> on the net... and if they contain nuts, so what, simply
substitute an equal amount of extra glace fruit, and add all the moisture you want by douching with
booze (the cake too), and do I really hafta tell ya what you can do with fancy topping... it ain't
rcoket sceince!

---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =--- ---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =--- Sheldon
```````````` "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

"The Goods" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A little background here:

It might be that MIL is the "traditional" sort, thinking she'll only pass on that valued recipe to
one girl-child, having already passed it on to the SIL. Perhaps it's her little challenge for you to
get better relations between you and SIL. Who knows?

Bottom line, I'd rather not be the one having to someday explain to my child that they can't have
their favorite fruit cake because I can't "bury the hatchet" with SIL.

Of course, my wife-to-be is sisterless.

I just feel that in this time of "giving", it might be best to work towards rebuilding bridges, not
giving up on a kind act merely because of personal issues. Talk to SIL, get to know her again, be
nice, you'd be acting with purpose.

The Goods said:

A little background here:

My mother-in-law has made a lovely white fruitcake for years. In fact, it was a country fair prize
winner. For several years I have repeatedly asked her for the recipe, especially because my oldest
son (HER grandson) likes it and I would like to have it to pass on to him (you know - "here's your
grandmother's beloved fruitcake recipe", etc.). Well, for reasons known only to her, she just
smiles (smirks?) and says nothing (ok, maybe there are some issues here). Imagine my surprise when
her other daughter-in-law (the "favorite"😉 announced to me recently that MIL gave her the recipe
ages ago (and no, I will not ask SIL for the recipe - more issues). Okay, I give up.

Does anyone have a recipe for a white fruitcake that meets the following criteria:

- must be VERY moist
- must be full of bright colored fruit
- does NOT contain any nuts
- has no fancy topping, just the lightly browned top of the cake.

Thanks for any help. You may just avert a family crisis.

Jan

Don't know if this meets your specifications or not. As Sheldon said, skip the nuts and add
more fruit.

* Exported from MasterCook *

White Fruit Cake

Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Cakes

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pound sugar 1 pound flour 1 teaspoon soda 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 pound butter 12 each egg whites
2/2 pound crystallized pineapple -- clear
3/2 pound crystallized pineapple -- green
4/2 pound crystallized pineapple -- pink
5/2 pound crystallized cherries
6/2 pound raisins -- white 1 pound blanched almonds -- cut in strips
7/2 pound citron 1 large coconut -- grated 1 teaspoon lemon extract 1 cup wine, white

Prepare the fruit the night before and soak in wine and lemon extract.

Cream butter and sugar. Add stiffly beaten egg whites and beat.

Sift flour, soda and cream of tartar. Add to the mixture. Beat well.

Add fruit and bake slowly.

--
Susan N.

There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who do not.

Here's mine, just replace the nuts with more fruit.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Helen's Light Fruit Cake

Recipe By : Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Family

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ --------------------------------
-----MM BY HELEN PEAGRAM-----
1/2 lb Glace pineapple 2 lb Sultanas 1 lb Glace cherries (red & Green) 1 lb Almonds 5 c Flour 1
t Baking powder 1 lb Butter 2 c Sugar (1 lb)
2/2 ts Nutmeg 10 Eggs 1 Lemon, juice & rind 1 Orange,juice & rind 1 t Rose ext 1 t Almond ext

3. Clean sultanas, slice pineapple thinly, halve cherries. 2. Mix and sift flour, baking powder
and spice and add half to prepared fruit.
4. In a large bowl, cream butter and gradually beat in sugar. 4. Add well beaten eggs and beat
well. 5. Fold other half of flour mixture into creamed mixture alternately with juices and beat
well. 6. Add fruit to to creamed mixture. Combine mixture til thoroughly blended. Split almonds
and add to mixture, saving some whole for top. Add flavourings. 7. Pour mixture into cake pans
which have been lined with 3 thicknesses of newspaper, with top layer of greased wax paper.
5. Bake cake at 275 F. for approximately 3 hours or til firm and until cake mixture is firm when
pressed. 9. Cool on cake rack until thoroughly cold. Wrap in foil and store in cake tins.

Makes 2 large or 1 large and 2 loaf tins.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 887 Calories; 66g Fat (65.1% calories from fat); 21g Protein;
58g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 286mg Cholesterol; 485mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 1/2 Grain(Starch);
2 Lean Meat; 12 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

"The Goods" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:qSiCb.10158$IF6.466317@ursa-
nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...

Quoted message said:

A little background here:

My mother-in-law has made a lovely white fruitcake for years. In fact, it was a country fair prize
winner. For several years I have repeatedly

asked

Quoted message said:

her for the recipe, especially because my oldest son (HER grandson) likes

it

Quoted message said:

and I would like to have it to pass on to him (you know - "here's your grandmother's beloved
fruitcake recipe", etc.). Well, for reasons known only to her, she just smiles (smirks?) and says
nothing (ok, maybe there

are

Quoted message said:

some issues here). Imagine my surprise when her other daughter-in-law

(the

Quoted message said:

"favorite"😉 announced to me recently that MIL gave her the recipe ages ago (and no, I will not ask
SIL for the recipe - more issues). Okay, I give

up.

Quoted message said:

Does anyone have a recipe for a white fruitcake that meets the following criteria:

- must be VERY moist
- must be full of bright colored fruit
- does NOT contain any nuts
- has no fancy topping, just the lightly browned top of the cake.

Thanks for any help. You may just avert a family crisis.

Jan

I can't help with the exact recipe, but I do have some sneaky advice.

Is there any way you could spend time in her home when she's not around? Maybe when you're visiting
and your husband takes her out shopping? Snoop around her kitchen. Cookbooks tend to open straight
to the page with the recipe that's made a lot. Sometimes the recipe is clipped out of the newspaper
and taped to a cabinet or is on a file card. Look.

No luck with that? Your next snooping place should be your sister-in-law's. Offer to babysit.

The next time you receive the cake as a gift, have a good look at it. The recipe might batter from
one source with the fruit from somewhere else. For example, the original recipe might call for nuts,
but your mother-in-law always substitutes dried apricots. So look at the cake and try to determine
what's in it by looking at it. Then find a good moist batter for the cake part and go from there.

Most important: If you discover the recipe, DON'T let them know you have it. Save it for your
son some day.

Maybe the smile means she's left you the recipe in her will.

--Lia

The Goods said:

A little background here:

My mother-in-law has made a lovely white fruitcake for years. In fact, it was a country fair prize
winner. For several years I have repeatedly asked her for the recipe, especially because my oldest
son (HER grandson) likes it and I would like to have it to pass on to him (you know - "here's your
grandmother's beloved fruitcake recipe", etc.). Well, for reasons known only to her, she just
smiles (smirks?) and says nothing (ok, maybe there are some issues here). Imagine my surprise when
her other daughter-in-law (the "favorite"😉 announced to me recently that MIL gave her the recipe
ages ago (and no, I will not ask SIL for the recipe - more issues). Okay, I give up.

Does anyone have a recipe for a white fruitcake that meets the following criteria:

- must be VERY moist
- must be full of bright colored fruit
- does NOT contain any nuts
- has no fancy topping, just the lightly browned top of the cake.

Thanks for any help. You may just avert a family crisis.

Jan

In article <[email hidden]>, "The

Goods said:

A little background here:

My mother-in-law has made a lovely white fruitcake for years. In fact, it was a country fair prize
winner. For several years I have repeatedly asked her for the recipe, especially because my oldest
son (HER grandson) likes it and I would like to have it to pass on to him (you know - "here's your
grandmother's beloved fruitcake recipe", etc.). Well, for reasons known only to her, she just
smiles (smirks?) and says nothing (ok, maybe there are some issues here). Imagine my surprise when
her other daughter-in-law (the "favorite"😉 announced to me recently that MIL gave her the recipe
ages ago (and no, I will not ask SIL for the recipe - more issues). Okay, I give up.

Oh, heck -- you quitter! Are you ever with the two of them at the same time? That would be the
perfect opportunity to ask MIL, in SIL's presence, why she gave it to her and will not give it to
you. She might have a reason. She might squirm. She might give you the recipe. She might ban you
from her home (maybe not a bad thing). Hell, tell her you'll sign a paper saying you won't post it
to a Usenet cooking group; have it notarized.

In family things like this, I go with the folks who say that if it's your husband's relative, he
should be the one to 'deal' with them. Couldn't he do a credible job of groveling with Mumsie to
get the recipe so his little darling won't be deprived of the yummily delicious treat when
Granny croaks?

Quoted message said:

Thanks for any help. You may just avert a family crisis.

Or stir the pot. :-) HTH.

Quoted message said:

Jan

--
-Barb <www.jamlady.eboard.com> "If you're ever in a jam, here I am."

"The Goods" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

A little background here:

My mother-in-law has made a lovely white fruitcake for years. In fact, it was a country fair prize
winner. For several years I have repeatedly asked her for the recipe, especially because my oldest
son (HER grandson) likes it and I would like to have it to pass on to him (you know - "here's your
grandmother's beloved fruitcake recipe", etc.). Well, for reasons known only to her, she just
smiles (smirks?) and says nothing (ok, maybe there are some issues here). Imagine my surprise when
her other daughter-in-law (the "favorite"😉 announced to me recently that MIL gave her the recipe
ages ago (and no, I will not ask SIL for the recipe - more issues). Okay, I give up.

Does anyone have a recipe for a white fruitcake that meets the following criteria:

- must be VERY moist
- must be full of bright colored fruit
- does NOT contain any nuts
- has no fancy topping, just the lightly browned top of the cake.

Thanks for any help. You may just avert a family crisis.

Jan

It would be a real shame to lose that recipe, if MIL kicks the bucket without passing it on. My Mom
died suddenly, and there are so many recipes that were in her head, that I forgot to ask her to
write out for me (she would have done so willingly). It is a huge loss - to all future generations.

-L.

The Goods said:

A little background here:

My mother-in-law has made a lovely white fruitcake for years. In fact, it was a country fair prize
winner. For several years I have repeatedly asked her for the recipe, especially because my oldest
son (HER grandson) likes it and I would like to have it to pass on to him (you know - "here's your
grandmother's beloved fruitcake recipe", etc.). Well, for reasons known only to her, she just
smiles (smirks?) and says nothing (ok, maybe there are some issues here). Imagine my surprise when
her other daughter-in-law (the "favorite"😉 announced to me recently that MIL gave her the recipe
ages ago (and no, I will not ask SIL for the recipe - more issues). Okay, I give up.

Okay, since SIL has managed to wrest the Sacred Recipe from her, how old is your son, and is he old
enough to ask her for it? If she won't give it to him, he could ask her to leave it to him in her
will. That would fix her wagon! ;-)

gloria p

In article said:

Does anyone have a recipe for a white fruitcake that meets the following criteria:

- must be VERY moist
- must be full of bright colored fruit
- does NOT contain any nuts
- has no fancy topping, just the lightly browned top of the cake.

No, but I recall that Steingarten had what he claimed was a miraculous white fruitcake recipe in
_The Man Who Ate Everything_, and since it's coming up on non-denominational winter festival time,
I'd like to say it's one of the top five books on cooking (it isn't a cookbook) I've ever read,
being a fine combination of humor, obsession, and knowlege. <amazon.comamazon.comOpen ↗
/0375702024>.

Good luck with the fruitcake recipe. Family politics are just as puzzling as the more public kind,
aren't they? I think the person that said "she buys it somewhere" may be on to something. See if you
can find a local place that's known for their fruitcake and you may strike something.

Mike Beede

Oh for heaven's sake - can't you recognize a little tongue in cheek when you hear it? - Please lay
off the Dr. Phil mantra? Take it to Alt.amateur.shrink. My in-laws and I get along just fine. I just
asked for a freakin cake recipe. I was hoping someone had a family favourite they were willing to
share and I included the little prelude as a way to bring a little chatty conversation to this
newsgroup. If I had titled it "Fruit cake recipe wanted" and had written "I need a white fruit cake
recipe" in the post would you have replied. I think not.

Quoted message said:

Of course, my wife-to-be is sisterless.>

Maybe I should be talking to her - does she know what she's in for?

"Chris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"The Goods" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:qSiCb.10158$IF6.466317@ursa-
nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...

Quoted message said:

A little background here:

It might be that MIL is the "traditional" sort, thinking she'll only pass

on

Quoted message said:

that valued recipe to one girl-child, having already passed it on to the SIL. Perhaps it's her
little challenge for you to get better relations between you and SIL. Who knows?

Bottom line, I'd rather not be the one having to someday explain to my

child

Quoted message said:

that they can't have their favorite fruit cake because I can't "bury the hatchet" with SIL.

Of course, my wife-to-be is sisterless.

I just feel that in this time of "giving", it might be best to work

towards

Quoted message said:

rebuilding bridges, not giving up on a kind act merely because of personal issues. Talk to SIL,
get to know her again, be nice, you'd be acting with purpose.

In article <hMrCb.98201$_M.515416@attbi_s54>, Julia Altshuler

Quoted message said:

I can't help with the exact recipe, but I do have some sneaky advice.

Is there any way you could spend time in her home when she's not around? Maybe when you're
visiting and your husband takes her out shopping? Snoop around her kitchen. Cookbooks tend to open
straight to the page with the recipe that's made a lot. Sometimes the recipe is clipped out of the
newspaper and taped to a cabinet or is on a file card. Look.

No luck with that? Your next snooping place should be your sister-in-law's. Offer to babysit.

Julia, are you serious?

Quoted message said:

The Goods said:

A little background here:

(Story ofMIL playing favorites with daughters-in-law and swell fruitcake recipe snipped.)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Jan

--
-Barb <www.jamlady.eboard.com> "If you're ever in a jam, here I am."

Julia Altshuler said:

I can't help with the exact recipe, but I do have some sneaky advice.

Is there any way you could spend time in her home when she's not around? Maybe when you're
visiting and your husband takes her out shopping? Snoop around her kitchen. Cookbooks tend to open
straight to the page with the recipe that's made a lot. Sometimes the recipe is clipped out of the
newspaper and taped to a cabinet or is on a file card. Look.

What if she works the recipe from memory? You can get wireless webcams that are cheap and real
small. Then, you can just watch and see how she does it. You might learn other interesting stuff,
like where she keeps household cash, etc. Maybe you can catch her having an affair, then blackmail
her into giving you the recipe. Hope this helps. :-)

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, The Goods
<[email hidden]> wrote:

Does anyone have a recipe for a white fruitcake that meets the following criteria:

- must be VERY moist
- must be full of bright colored fruit
- does NOT contain any nuts
- has no fancy topping, just the lightly browned top of the cake.

Unfortunately, I don't have such a recipe. We bake dark fruitcake with fruit and nuts.

With a MIL like that, howver, my goal would be to bake an even better white fruitcake than hers that
you could present at the holidays, and I would certainly not give her the recipe. (Smile sweetly and
say nothing.)

My suggestion...find the very richest white fruitcake batter recipe you can (many good cookbooks
have one), then omit the nuts if any, and increase the quantities of the candied and dried fruits.
Do include white raisins (sultanas) and dried apricots, even if not called for. Also tender glacéed
orange and lemon peels (make your own if you have to).

Make this cake the envy of your MIL.

Wayne

"The Goods" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Oh for heaven's sake - can't you recognize a little tongue in cheek when

you

Quoted message said:

hear it? - Please lay off the Dr. Phil mantra? Take it to Alt.amateur.shrink. My in-laws and I get
along just fine. I just asked

for

Quoted message said:

a freakin cake recipe. I was hoping someone had a family favourite they were willing to share and
I included the little prelude as a way to bring

a

Quoted message said:

little chatty conversation to this newsgroup. If I had titled it "Fruit cake recipe wanted" and
had written "I need a white fruit cake recipe" in the post would you have replied. I think not.

Well, you opened with a prelude to stimulate conversation, I conversed, and you were upset? ;-)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Of course, my wife-to-be is sisterless.>

Maybe I should be talking to her - does she know what she's in for?

She's in for someone who loves her.

actually..I thought to myself upon reading it..'she buys it somewhere'! just a thought..

--

Laura

"The Goods" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:MblCb.10225$IF6.472452@ursa-
nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...

Quoted message said:

Oh for heaven's sake - can't you recognize a little tongue in cheek when

you

Quoted message said:

hear it? - Please lay off the Dr. Phil mantra? Take it to Alt.amateur.shrink. My in-laws and I get
along just fine. I just asked

for

Quoted message said:

a freakin cake recipe. I was hoping someone had a family favourite they were willing to share and
I included the little prelude as a way to bring

a

Quoted message said:

little chatty conversation to this newsgroup. If I had titled it "Fruit cake recipe wanted" and
had written "I need a white fruit cake recipe" in the post would you have replied. I think not.

Quoted message said:

Of course, my wife-to-be is sisterless.>

Maybe I should be talking to her - does she know what she's in for?

"Chris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"The Goods" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:qSiCb.10158$IF6.466317@ursa-
nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...

Quoted message said:

A little background here:

It might be that MIL is the "traditional" sort, thinking she'll only

pass

Quoted message said:

on

Quoted message said:

that valued recipe to one girl-child, having already passed it on to the SIL. Perhaps it's her
little challenge for you to get better relations between you and SIL. Who knows?

Bottom line, I'd rather not be the one having to someday explain to my

child

Quoted message said:

that they can't have their favorite fruit cake because I can't "bury the hatchet" with SIL.

Of course, my wife-to-be is sisterless.

I just feel that in this time of "giving", it might be best to work

towards

Quoted message said:

rebuilding bridges, not giving up on a kind act merely because of

personal

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

issues. Talk to SIL, get to know her again, be nice, you'd be acting

with

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

purpose.

Melba's Jammin said:

Julia, are you serious?

Maybe. --Lia

Wayne Boatwright said:

My suggestion...find the very richest white fruitcake batter recipe you can (many good cookbooks
have one), then omit the nuts if any, and increase the quantities of the candied and dried fruits.
Do include white raisins (sultanas) and dried apricots, even if not called for. Also tender
glacéed orange and lemon peels (make your own if you have to).

Make this cake the envy of your MIL. Wayne

I basicly agree with Wayne. I'm not familiar with "white fruitcake"; mine are dark. But anyway,
instead of using mixed candied fruit (which has way too much badly candied citrus peel), use a
mixture of glacéed cherries, that really sweet dried pineapple you can buy in bulk food bins, and
other assorted dried fruits (raisins, diced prunes, diced Turkish apricots, "craisins", dates, etc.)

Best regards, Bob

"Laura" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

actually..I thought to myself upon reading it..'she buys it somewhere'! just a thought..

--

Laura

Perhaps I am being too harsh, but I have always thought that refusing to give someone a recipe,
particularly a friend or family member, is astoundingly petty and selfish. The only exception I can
think of is if the person who gave you the recipe asked you to promise not to give it out. Otherwise
it is really cheesy. It is hard for me to imagine having a life so shallow and empty that having a
"secret recipe" is so important.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

In article <isuCb.329365$Dw6.1107655@attbi_s02>, Julia Altshuler

Quoted message said:

Melba's Jammin said:

Julia, are you serious?

Quoted message said:

Maybe. --Lia

Shame on you.
--
-Barb <www.jamlady.eboard.com> "If you're ever in a jam, here I am."