By Anita Garner

Every year about this time I have to come over here and defend fruitcakes.  If I didn't, some of y'all would be using them to build tiny houses. They're heavy, yes, but sturdiness is part of the charm.  A chunk of fruitcake should offer some resistance when you pick it up.  A stomach should know it's had some fruitcake.  What's the point if it looks and tastes like other cakes?

I like the ones in a circle with chunks of candied fruit protruding. I like the loaf shaped cakes heavy as bricks.  I like them all.  I tried to make fruitcake at home a couple of times.  Mine didn't have the heft and the mysterious bits of things like the ones you can order.  I don't even know what all those chunks are.  Don't care. 

Old or new, a fruitcake looks and tastes the same after weeks.  Words make this sound like a bad thing, but my mouth waters and I'm about to begin my once a year fruitcake sampling.

My family goes way back with fruitcakes.  We've ordered from Collin Street Bakery in Texas, Sunnyland Farms in Georgia, Harry & David in Oregon and Vermont Country Store. Sunnyland Farms is heavy on the pecans.  Mother loved pecans in any form so she always ordered a selection of them when she picked up a Sunnyland catalog.

Wherever you get yours, fruitcakes are colorful and weighty and loyal.  They'll stick by you for a long time.

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