If you’ve ever lost someone, you understand how grief can hit you like a semi-truck out of the blue!
Yesterday, I found an unidentified foil-wrapped item while cleaning out my freezer. When I unwrapped it, I knew immediately it was a refrigerator fruitcake I had made for my mother. She passed away in January of 2022. Just weeks before, she had requested that I make it for her. You see, it was a holiday tradition for her to make one yearly. But she couldn’t hold out to do it anymore. So, I mixed it up and made it into small logs. This way, it was easier for my mom to handle. She could slice off a few pieces to keep in the refrigerator while freezing the rest. Plus, I could share it with my brother, who always looked forward to Mama’s.
My parents started many traditions that are a massive part of my identity. But Mama, in particular, made a refrigerator fruitcake every Christmas season, along with other favorites like her chocolate-covered cherries!
I rarely revisit my half-written posts. But today, I decided to see what I had in there. When I found the draft, the grief hit. All of the Thanksgiving and Christmas memories came rushing to mind. She loved this time of year. I got my love for cooking from her. The holiday cooking was her favorite. She had me in the kitchen as a child, learning the ropes and helping her. Mama loved music and laughter; you better believe both filled her kitchen during those cooking lessons! We had some of our best moments during those times. She enjoyed preparing for her family and loved for all of us to gather at her house.
Food and cooking can bring people together and create cherished memories. My grief was brief because I was able to reflect on the happy moments we shared. The following paragraph from my old writings especially made me smile.
“Last week, I went into her kitchen to attempt to make a cake half as good as hers. The memories that little kitchen holds for me started flooding my mind. Everything I touched seemed to hold a memory. From the little measuring spoons and bowls I have used all my life to the lessons she taught me there. Where I learned a little about cooking but a lot about life.”
This is Mama’s original recipe. I have added dates and apricots, and I love it that way. If you are up to experimenting, you can try different dried fruit to suit your taste. You need it wet enough to coat the dry ingredients and enough dry ingredients to hold it all together. You can roll the dough into logs using parchment paper or line a loaf pan or a pie plate.
If you press the mixture into a pan, here is a tip to help the parchment stay in place. First, crumble the parchment paper and wet it. Then, squeeze it out well and place it into the pan.
Refrigerator Fruitcake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 5 ounces evaporated milk
- pinch kosher salt
- 2 (10-ounce bags) mini marshmallows
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 (11-ounce boxes) Nilla wafers crushed
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
- 1 (10-ounce bag) raisins
- 16 ounce jar maraschino cherries drained, patted dry, halved
- 2 1/2 cups flaked coconut optional
- 6 ounces dried apricots chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup chopped dates (optional)
Instructions
- In a very large bowl combine Nilla wafers, nuts, fruits & coconut. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven.
- Add marshmallows, salt, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir constantly over low heat until the marshmallows are melted.
- Pour marshmallow mixture over fruit mixture and combine well.
- Spoon mixture onto parchment paper and roll into logs or line a tube pan or loaf pans with parchment paper and spoon mixture into pans. Press down to pack in pans. Cover and refrigerate.
Notes
