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By Erika Anderson
For some, the word conjures up memories of annual holiday
traditions, of friends and family gathered around a table, a cake made of fruit
and nuts serving as the centerpiece.
For others, fruitcake is the dreaded gift brought each Christmas
by someone’s Aunt Marge, who still insists on pinching cheeks.
It has been said that there is no middle ground, no gray area, in
the fruitcake war—there are those who love it, and, standing staunchly
across the battlefield, those who cringe at the very mention of the traditional
holiday treat.
But at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Brother Basil
Arsenio, OCSO, and his fellow monks have worked to create the ultimate
fruitcake. The labor and effort put into making the cakes have become a prayer
for the monks who work in the bakery—and the result is a celestial
creation sure to convert even the harshest fruitcake critic.
Known for their popular loaves of bread, the monks work in the
bakery under a sign that reads “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Though it will eventually come back, the monks say, for now, the bread-making
has been put on hold. All their efforts are focused on fruitcake, as they
strive to support themselves more and more by the labor of their own hands, the
ideal spelled out in the rule of St. Benedict.
According to Brother Basil, createing a fruitcake was the idea of
Abbot M. Basil Pennington, OCSO.
“He had had experience with other monasteries that were doing
fruitcakes, and some that were having large sales from the fruitcakes,” he
said.
After the initial stages of discussion, Brother Basil began
developing a recipe with the help of an international baker, which was no easy
task, he said, adding that he spent about 60 hours a week perfecting the
creation.
“It took us four to six months to really hone it and develop
it and make it really special, which meant changes in everything from cooking
times to variations on additives,” he said.
The HoneyBaked Ham Company began marketing the cake through its
catalogs in October. In a decorative white tin designed by fellow monk Brother
Alberic Farbolin, OCSO, a drawing of the monastery is printed in green,
surrounded by the words “Abbey of the Holy Spirit—Fruitcake From
Brother Basil’s Kitchen.”
But before each fruitcake makes it to the tin, it must be created,
and each is homemade with love by Brother Basil and others who work in the
bakery.
The monks bake every other day. On the non-baking days, they spend
their time in the cool kitchen, mixing, garnishing and injecting the alcohol
needed to create the perfect fruitcake. Two hundred and fifty cakes are
produced each week. If consistent, that can add up to about 12,000 cakes a
year.
There are two parts to each fruitcake, Brother Basil said—the
batter mix, made of butter, sugar, eggs, flour, spices, honey and almond; and
the fruit mix, or fruit soak, made of cherries, pineapple, pecans, raisins,
dates and almond flavoring. In a dark blue trough that can hold 250 pounds, the
fruit mix spends three days soaking in peach brandy and golden sherry.
The monks mix the batter—which for a single batch of 85 cakes
requires around 130 eggs, cracked by hand, of course— with the fruit soak
by hand, wearing gloves from their hands to their shoulders.
The cakes are baked in a customized fruitcake pan, which resembles
an angel food cake pan, lined with red fluted liners, Brother Basil said.
Each fruitcake must weigh exactly 2 pounds. A digital scale is
used for accuracy. Though the correct weight is essential for the
fruitcake’s nutritional label, there are other things to consider, Brother
Basil said.
“We have to make a good presentation and make sure it looks
good,” he said. “Remember, the public wants to see a good-looking
fruitcake.”
That’s where the garnishing comes in. After the cakes are
baked, they are left to cool. They are then injected, by way of a veterinary
tool called a drencher, six times, all the way around the cake, with extra
shots of the sherry and brandy. Though the alcohol content may seem high,
Brother Basil said that it is less compared to some fruitcakes.
“Some cakes use rum, which has a greater alcohol
content,” he said. “The alcohol keeps the cake moist and acts as a
preservative. The shelf life on this is quite long. We are doing tests now to
find out exactly how long.”
The cakes are glazed and then garnished with two cherries and two
large whole pecans. Brother Basil had a difficult time finding whole pecans, as
most that are sold come with half pieces. He buys them in 30-pound boxes from
two companies—one for the whole pecans that garnish and another that
provides small halves for the fruit mix.
The cakes are then glazed, which gives them a golden color, and
finally wrapped in cellophane, using a custom-made wooden stand to hold the
fruitcake. Finally, they are placed on a warm griddle to seal the wrapping.
From batter to box, each batch of fruitcakes takes about five days
to make. They serve about eight people each, and at 420 calories and 26 grams
of fat per serving, are definitely a holiday indulgence.
The cakes currently are available at Atlanta-area HoneyBaked Ham
Stores, and through the HBH catalog for $29.95. At the Abbey Store, located on
the property of the monastery, the cakes are sold for $19.95 each.
The price is comparable to most fruitcakes, but Brother
Basil’s cake comes with a special ingredient—prayer.
“This isn’t just about making fruitcake,” said
Brother Basil, who has been at the monastery for 11 years and baking for six.
“Right now we are focused on production and we are trying to smooth out
the labor end of this and be efficient. It’s the matter of becoming
familiar with everything. Life is centered on prayer and once we are working at
high efficiency, it becomes part of our prayer life.”
“You have to take the opportunity that God provides you for
work, meditation and devotion,” he continued. “Work is very important
to tie together the spiritual with the physical. The key to life is
harmony.”
As for the fruitcakes, Brother Basil considers each “like a
baby,” and is especially proud of the efforts of the monastery.
“What makes these fruitcakes special is that each of these
cakes is homemade,” he said. “They aren’t something that comes
off a machine.”
To order a fruitcake, either visit Abbey Store, located at 2625
Hwy. 212 SW in Conyers, or visit their web site at www.trappist.net. Fruitcakes
can also be purchased at local HoneyBaked Ham stores, or by calling (800)
367-2426. |
