This morning, we made wine. So far, we have 2 3-gallon batches of Allison's Elderberry. Both are stunning, deep, inky blue-black color and while young, they taste fantastic. The first batch is oaking now. The batch we started today is the second run Elderberry Rose. The recipe calls for body from bananas, and we used Dwarf Red bananas from the greenhouse. The taste and flavor are very promising.
Last year we found the world's best fruitcake recipe. This is not the fruitcake with the radioactive green and red candied fruit. This is rich, delicious, from-scratch fruitcake.
Today we made this year's fruitcake. Probably too much fruitcake. We quadrupled the recipe. Upon reflection, perhaps last year we only doubled the recipe. Oh well. It will keep.
This fruitcake macerates apricots, golden raisins, cherries, blueberries, dates, cranberries, candied ginger, and citrus zest in rum overnight. Then add just a little butter, flour, sugar, and spices, followed by some flour and eggs.
While waiting on the fruitcake, we had pan-seared roasted garlic and rosemary lamb chops for supper. This was paired with a Sonoma Pinot Noir Forty-Seven Friends which was excellent.
My favorite part of the fruitcake recipe is the brandy. The idea is that this fruitcake "ages." Sort of like wine. So you have to be patient. While aging, it is spritzed with brandy every few days. We use a homemade peach brandy made by one of Lisa's patients.
We'll have family and friends home for Thanksgiving this year. We just might eat a little fruitcake.
