When I look back on my books, I can often tell something about what was going on with me. When I wrote To Tame a Texas Cowboy, transporting a lot of dogs from Corsicana, Texas. (For those who don’t know, my family fosters and transports dogs for Cody’s Friends Rescue.) I say that because of my heroine, Cheyenne’s comment describing her overprotective Mom. Despite the serious nature that brought about the scene (the mother reports her missing), I had a blast writing it. Here’s an excerpt.
“I’ve got to do something about Mom. I don’t care how worried she is, when she hurts other people she’s gone too far.” Cheyenne collapsed on the couch beside Aubrey.
If this was a sample of what Cheyenne was dealing with, no wonder she was desperate to move out. If a service dog could help her with that goal, how could he refuse to help? Wasn’t easing burdens like Cheyenne’s why he’d taken up Olivia’s cause with the SeizureReader?
Dog nails scraping against the glass patio door drew Cooper’s attention. After he let the dogs in, Penny trotted over to Cheyenne and curled up by her feet.
The wild idea that sprouted last night when he saw Penny with Cheyenne expanded. The idea could work.
“We should leave. I’ve caused Cooper enough trouble, and who knows what else will happen if I stay longer,” Cheyenne said to Aubrey.
Her friend shook her head. “Girl, I slept in my clothes and the officer showing up scared me so much I’m as sweaty as a teenager sneaking into the house after curfew. No way am I crawling in the car without a shower. Cooper, mind if I use yours?”
“Go ahead. That’ll give me time to talk to Cheyenne.”
After Aubrey left, Cheyenne stared at him wide-eyed. “Why would you want to talk to me? If I were you, I’d figure out how to get a restraining order.”
He smiled at her attempt at humor as he sank into his recliner. The woman had grit. Despite everything, she hadn’t buckled. “On your mom maybe, but this wasn’t your fault.”
Fatigue and vulnerability flashed in her green eyes, overwhelming the courage and toughness he admired a minute ago. “You’re wrong. This is my fault. I didn’t rein Mom in before this happened.”
“Has your mom always been so,” he paused. Would it be completely out of line to call her mom a nut case?
“Go ahead and say it. Crazy, wacko. Nuttier than a Collin Street Bakery fruitcake. Take your pick.”
He chuckled at her plain speaking. “I was trying to find a better way to phrase it.”
“That’s sweet, but unnecessary.” Cheyenne sighed. “She wasn’t as bad when my dad was alive.”
“You don’t have to talk about this.”
She shrugged. “You’ve seen my dirtiest laundry. Might as well know how it got so bad. My dad died in a freak rodeo accident when I was fifteen. A bull threw him and before the rodeo clowns got there, the bull stepped on his—” She shuddered, and horror flashed across her face. “There was nothing anyone could do. He was gone.”
“Saying I’m sorry is inadequate, but I am sorry.”
Cheyenne picked at the couch cushion. “That’s what started Mom’s overprotectiveness. Most people think things like that won’t happen to them or someone they love, but she knows they do. My diagnosis has dredged up that pain, along with her fear, and helplessness. She’s doing the only thing she can think of, trying to control everything, but she can’t fix this for me.”
I know a lot of folks outside of Texas won’t get Cheyenne’s comment “nuttier than a Collin Street Bakery fruitcake” but I had a good laugh writing with it. Her comment refers to the Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas, famous for the fruitcake it’s made for over 125 years. I can see the looks of disbelief on your faces now. Hey, I’ve heard all the fruitcake jokes that abound this time of year, but the Collin Street Bakery’s been featured on a popular shows like Good Morning America.
I thought the same thing the first time I went to Corsicana to transport a dog. But when I saw the Collin Street Bakery on my way to the city shelter, I had to stop. After that, every time I drove to Corsicana, I stopped at the bakery first. I would get a cherry turnover to devour on the way home, peanut brittle for my hubby, cupcakes, and a sample of their fruitcake, which is by the way, pretty good.
While we don’t buy fruitcakes, every year at the holidays, my husband craves our family’s version which is more like a pound cake. It’s so good that if I don’t have time to bake it, he does! Today I’m sharing that recipe with you.
Philly Christmas Cake
Ingredients:
1 8 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 1/2 C sugar
1 C butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 C each of candied red, green cherries, and pineapple
1 C chopped walnuts or pecans
Directions:
Place 1/4 C chopped walnuts in each of two loaf pans. Place 1/4 C of the flour in a small bowl. Add cut candied fruit and remaining nuts. Mix and set aside.
Cream softened cream cheese, sugar, butter and vanilla until combined well. Add eggs one a time. Mix until incorporated. Add remaining flour (2C) and baking powder. Combine. Add remaining walnuts (1/2) and candied (now floured) fruit. Mix. Pour into loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour 20 min.
Giveaway–Today I have two holiday T-shirts to give away. Each one comes with a signed copy of To Tame A Texas Cowboy. To be entered in the giveaways, leave me a comment on your thoughts regarding fruitcake.
Julie Benson has written five novels for Harlequin American, and her Wishing, Texas series is available from Tule Publishing. Now that her three sons have left the nest in Dallas, when she isn't writing, Julie spends her time working on home improvement projects, rescuing dogs, and visiting Texas wineries with her husband. Visit her at www.juliebenson.net.
Not a fan!
I can enjoy a small bite, but for a slice? No. However, I do like my family’s version, but it’s more cake than fruitcake.
I like fruitcake if it is moist and not dry. My mother made a wonderful one.
Janice, I agree it has to be moist. But I don’t like it if it’s too rich. What was your mother’s recipe like? I’ve never known anyone else that had a good recipe. Thanks for stopping by today. Have a blessed holiday season!
Not a fan and allergic to some of the ingredients.
Thanks for stopping by this morning. I can see how fruitcake would be a land mine if you’re allergic to things. It’s got a ton of ingredients! That’s what I like about my family’s version. Except for the fruit, it’s normal/average cake ingredients. Take care and have a blessed holiday season.
I do not eat fruitcake but my SIL loves it.
Debby, I don’t really know anyone who does. That’s what amazed me about the Collin Street Bakery. They’ve been making their fruitcake for over 125 years and sell a ton of them!
Thanks for being here to chat today. Take care and have a blessed holiday season.
I don’t mind fruitcake, some are quite tasty. I’m usually good after a slice or two.
I knew the Collin Street reference. My husband’s grandparents loved it and sent it to his parents every year. Plus, I think there were always ads in Southern living.
When we were driving in Texas to Austin, I saw a few retail locations. I said something after seeing the first one, and my husband didn’t know what I was talking about. Then I had to tell him about his “family connection” to the bakery. Lol
Denise, then you’re one of the few people who got Cheyenne’s joke. I should’ve used something more “universal” but I couldn’t resist. For me, I love adding little Texas touches like that to my stories. That scene was a blast to write.
Take care, and as always, thanks for being here to support me. Have a blessed holiday season.
I do not like fruit cake. My dad received one as a gift and no one in our family liked it.
Laurie, isn’t that the case, that when we get a fruitcake as a gift we’re not crazy about it? That’s why it’s so crazy that the Collin Street Bakery being famous for its fruitcakes and selling so many of them! I was on their website to get a picture of the fruitcake and some of the kinds they make were sold out!
Thanks for stopping by today. Take care and have a blessed holiday season.
I do like fruit cake. Also, the Finnish fruit cake.is a bit different from yours.
Minna, good to hear from you! I didn’t know Finland had its own kind of fruitcake. My family’s version is more like a pound cake that has candied fruit in it. My hubby loves it. I enjoy it with a cup of tea for a snack.
Thanks for being here. Take care and have a blessed holiday season.
I have never tasted fruitcake.
Cathy, some folks would say you’re lucky! Lol. Thanks for being here today and have a blessed holiday season.
Fruitcake is wonderful stuff IF it’s homemade or made by someone who knows what they’re doing, such as the Collins Street Bakery. Fruitcake is not wonderful stuff if it’s from the five-and-dime or the dollar store. It depends on who’s making it.
Kathy, you are so right that it depends on who makes the fruitcake! You’re the second person today that’s heard of the Collin Street Bakery! I didn’t think anyone would’ve heard of it. I love their cherry turnovers. The filling is great and then they have crystalized sugar on top. Yum! My hubby loves their peanut brittle. I haven’t been there in a while. 🙁
Take care and thanks for being here. I hope you have a blessed holiday.
I used to wonder why people made fun of fruitcakes. When I was little, I watched my Grandmother make a lot of them, and hand them out at Christmas. We all loved fruitcake. When I was older, i found out some people filled their recipes, with rum and other spirits, that hid the beauty of the real dessert. The secret of enjoying a good fruitcake, is to cut the slices thin, Like you were slicing bread. Not like you were slicing a cake. If you have any problems with your teeth, all the jellied fruit will be an instant tooth ache. So, cut the pieces thin, and you can avoid that, too.
Nanci, how cool that your grandmother had a good fruitcake recipe. I wonder what made it so special? Who’d have thought adding spirits would dampen the flavor of the dessert? As always, I’ve learned something new today. What you said about slicing it makes sense since fruitcake is usually so rich. It’s one of those less is more desserts.
Thank you for stopping by today to chat. I hope you have a blessed holiday season.
when in High school our band sold Texas Fruitcakes and they were delicious!!
Teresa, that’s interesting that your band sold fruitcakes. That seems like it wouldn’t be the easiest thing to sell so it must’ve been good. Thanks for being here today and have a blessed holiday season.
I’m not a fan of fruitcakes!! Thankfully, no one in my family is, either!!
Trudy, most folks aren’t. I only like my family’s version because it’s like a pound cake with candied fruit in it. Thanks for stopping by to chat with me. May you and your family’s holiday season be blessed.
I would probably enjoy your family recipe more than a standard fruit cake. Fruitcakes don’t even smell that good to me. Ha! Merry Christmas Julie. So glad you help transport and foster rescue dogs. Awesome!
Kathy, my version is more like a pound cake. I love having a slice of it with a cup of tea. As to fostering, I love doing it. We foster puppies now because my older dog doesn’t get along with adult dogs. It means I always get puppy snuggles. Thank you for the warm Christmas wishes. May your Christmas be blessed as well,.
I loved it when I was a kid. I would sneak in my grandmother’s stash and take a small piece, but now it doesn’t take as good. I don’t know if it is not made with good quality ingredients, my taste buds have changed, or I just buy a poor fruitcake.
It’s hard to find good fruitcake, especially if there was a certain one you liked such as the kind your grandmother had. I wonder if she made hers or if she got it from a bakery. But it also could be that your tastes have changed. Since I’ve reduced my sugar intake, a lot of things I enjoyed before now taste too sweet, almost sickeningly so.
Thanks for being here today. Take care and have a blessed holiday season.
I have tried it several times trying to make myself like it, but I never acquired a taste for it.
I’m the same way. I’ve tried lots of fruitcakes, but am not crazy about many of them. Collin Street Bakery’s tastes good, but I wouldn’t want much of it. It’s too rich. That’s another thing I like about my family’s version, it’s not overly rich.
Thanks for being here today. Take care and have a blessed holiday season,
Not a big fan of fruit cake, but my neighbor brought me one she made that took thirty days to make and it was very good. Year recipe sounds very good and I might have to try it sometime.
Yikes, 30 days to make?! It must be one of those recipes where ingredients need to mull or something. I don’t know what the term is. I can never plan that far in advance, and I tend to forget to do what it needs done over those 30 days. 🙂 If you try my family’s recipe, let me know how it goes. Just make sure not to overbake it because it can be dry if you do.
Take care and thanks for being here today. Have a blessed holiday season.
I don’t mind homemade fruitcake. I love the flavor. the fruit texture is a little weird. But overall I think it’s good 😉
Tia, you’re right about the texture of candied fruit. It can be kind of gummy. I think that’s why my recipe says to mix it in flour before adding it to the batter. It keeps the fruit from clumping together too.
Thanks for stopping by to chat. Take care and have a blessed holiday season.
welcome today. what a fun post. I have tried fruit cake three times. once as a child, once in high school at a friends party, once as a married woman at my husbands family party. I can honestly say I didnt like all three. your recipe sounds delicious though. I will be giving this one a try. thanks for sharing this and for this wonderful give a way. hope you and yours all have a fabulous Christmas season. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
Lori, thanks for being here today. It’s amazing how different fruitcake can be. If you try my family’s, let me know how it goes. I hope you and your family have a blessed Christmas.
I love fruitcake and always try to use the freshest ingredients. I use an old family recipe adapted from an early Betty Crocker Cookbook.
We also make a Fruitcake Fudge which is decadent!
Joye, I think it all comes down to the recipe. I’ll have to search my old Betty Crocker Cookbook that I received as a wedding present to see if it has a recipe. Fruitcake fudge sounds good. I may have to see if I can find a recipe for that, too. Thanks for being here today and have a blessed holiday season.
I agree, Julie. Most people outside Texas won’t get the reference to the Collin Street Bakery Fruitcake. I LOVE them! My mom could make the best fruitcakes ever. I’ve tried, but can’t replicate hers. What a great excerpt. Merry Christmas to you!!
Jan, thanks for stopping by! The scene was a hoot to write. I just couldn’t have a Texas girl simply say nuttier than a fruitcake. I bet your mom’s recipe was amazing. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Merry Christmas to you as well.
First of all, your version of fruitcake sounds absolutely delicious! For the most part, I do not like fruitcake as I do not like candied fruits. However, when living in Knoxville, TN we had a fruitcake given to us and it was out of this world. It was from a local bakery in the area which cannot recall. We no longer partake in fruitcake by the advise of our cardiologist. So much goodness going to waste on us. Wishing you all a beautiful holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I just remembered the fruitcake in/around Knoxville, TN was the Claxton fruitcake, made in Claxton, TN, NW of Knoxville.
I’ll have to check the bakery out.
Judy, I know what you mean about having to give good things up. I’ve gone gluten free and am trying to reduce my sugar intake. Boy does that rule out a lot of wonderful goodies! Sure, I can substitute gluten free flour, but recipes don’t turn out the same. But giving those goodies up is better than having health problems! Take care, stay healthy, and have a blessed Christmas.
Julie, I love fruitcake. Jan’s and my mom spoiled us on that and we always looked forward every year to devouring some. I inherited her recipe and tried for several years but never got it to come out the same. It was close though. Your book sounds really fun and romantic. Cooper and Cheyenne sound like a great couple.
Linda, her recipe must be fantastic, and I bet yours is closer to your mom’s than you think. There’s something about someone else making baked goods that always makes them taste better.
I like fruit cake. My mom used to make a great tasting one, but now I will just buy a little one at an after Christmas sale. Your recipe sounds good, not too complicated and expensive.
Connie, that’s the problem with a lot of fruitcakes. They’re huge. In the past, I’d buy small aluminum loaf pans to give as gifts. I love having a slice of my family’s recipe with a cup of tea. Now if it would only cool off here. It’s 70 and muggy here in Dallas. It’s making it hard to get in the holiday spirit when I’m wearing shorts and flip flops!
Thanks for being here today. Take care and have a blessed Christmas.
I don’t care for fruitcake. Maybe if I had a good recipe, it would be different.
Thanks for stopping by to chat today. It’s certainly hard to find good recipes or bakeries that have good fruitcake. There are certainly more bad ones out there than tasty ones. Take care and have a blessed holiday season.
Hi, Julie. I love fruitcake! I think a lot of tea drinkers do. Nothing is better than a slice of it with a hot cup of tea. My grandmother, who was from Virginia, made fruitcake, and hers was the best! My family always had her recipe, and my sister and I have made them every Christmas season. One batch makes two large cakes. We also bake them in loaf pans and give them as gifts this time of year — but only to those who we know really appreciate them and enjoy them. It’s a nice remembrance of our grandmother. And our recipients look forward to Grandmom Mabel’s fruitcake each year.
Sharon, I love this cake with a cup of tea, especially on a cold day. I think the recipes handed down through families are the best. One that’s still being handed down like your grandmother’s fruitcake recipe must be wonderful.
Thanks for being here today. Take care, enjoy a cup of tea and fruitcake for me since it’s 70 degrees here, and have a blessed Christmas.
My grandma always gave out fruitcake to her sisters at Christmas time… no one else in our family really ate it.
Colleen, it’s interesting you and your sisters ate fruitcake but not anyone else. I think fruitcake is an acquired taste. Thanks for being here today. May you have a blessed Christmas season.
haven’t tried it
Some would say that’s not a bad thing. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and weighing in. Take care and have a blessed holiday season.
Hello and Merry Christmas to All! I Love FruitCake it is one of my favorite cakes! My Late husband use to bake fruitcake every year and all our friends Loved it But we lost the recipe and can’t find another like the recipe he used!
Oh no, Sarah! How sad that you lost the recipe when everyone loved it. 🙁 Keep searching and I hope you find it one day. Take care, thanks for being here, and have a blessed Christmas.
I’ll definitely save the fruitcake for someone else! 😛
You’re not the only one who says that. Thanks for being here today to weigh in. Take care and have a blessed holiday season.
I haven’t ever been a fan of fruitcake. I think they look pretty, and sometimes they smell good, but I can’t stand dried fruit so I’ve never eaten one.
Megan, isn’t it funny how different dried fruit can be from fresh? And why does some dried fruits have different names like raisins and prunes, but not all of them do? Then candied fruit tastes different from fresh and dried fruit. I agree about how fruitcakes look beautiful and smell great. I’ve had times when I was lured in by the looks or smell and then it was awful when I tasted it. I hate that!
Thanks for stopping by today to chat. Have a blessed holiday season.
I like fruitcake, but my husband loves fruitcake. He has to have one every Christmas!
Kathleen, thank you for being here today. My hubby’s the same way. Have a blessed holiday season.
My mom had an aunt who made great fruitcake. We used to send some to my grandmother who really liked it too.
Diana, I’m amazed how many people have said a family member has/had a great fruitcake recipe. I thought my family was the only one who made a variation every Christmas. 🙂 Thanks for being here today. Take care and have a blessed holiday.
I may live in the Pacific Northwest but I do know about the Collin Street Bakery. I have three of their tins I use to store holiday cookies in. We received their fruitcakes several years as gifts, usually from a local company we do business with. I liked them but our kids didn’t. They do like the applesauce fruitcake I make every year. I have been asked for that recipe several times including a friend from church who used it to make the fruitcake for her daughter’s wedding.(I think wedding fruitcake is a Norwegian tradition. The weddings I have been to where fruitcake was served involved families of Norwegian heritage)
I just made this year’s on Monday. It needs to mellow at least two weeks but longer is better. I wonder if the “thirty days to make” that Quilt Lady referred to is the time for mellowing. I know if I made ours thirty days before serving it it would be better but in recent years I never seem to get it made that early.
Alice, I’m amazed you’ve heard of Collin Street Bakery! I love the idea of an applesauce fruitcake. It sounds like it would be lighter than the traditional kind, and your must be amazing if someone made it for her daughter’s wedding! I’m also impressed that you’ve already baked this year’s fruitcake. I’m still working on getting decorations up.
Take care and thanks for being here today. May your holiday be blessed and your fruitcake delicious!
The fruitcake gets made before the decorations go up at least it should. I do have a few decorations out.
I’m not necessarily a fan! But I can do a bite or two if it’s more like a spice cake.
Susan, a spiced cake with a cream cheese frosting sounds great. I wish I had a good recipe for one. I may have to search for one to try. Have a blessed holiday season.
Not a fan
Linda, for being here and sharing your opinion. Have a blessed holiday season
Hi Julie, I enjoyed your post. I printed off your Fruit Cake recipe. I like fruit cake with spirits. It wouldn’t be Christmas without a bite of fruit cake. I know a lot of people don’t enjoy eating it, however; like some have stated it depends on how it’s made. Enjoy your Holidays with your family & friends. God Bless.
Lois, I hope the recipe turns out well for you. I enjoy it with a cup of tea. I’m so glad you enjoyed the post and wish you a blessed holiday season, too. Thanks for being here today.
Thank you, but I am not a fan of fruit cake. Merry Christmas. God bless you.
Not a fan of fruitcake. Haven’t tried one yet I have enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I am late, but wanted to thank you for the recipe. I like good fruit cake. Georgia has their own fruitcake company that has been around since the 1940’s. We stopped at the Claxton, Georgia at the Claxton Fruitcake bakery. They ship worldwide and are pretty good. We also stopped at another small bakery around the corner and bought a small loaf of their version of the fruitcake plus a rum soaked version we are trying on Christmas.
Thank you for the recipe. I will be trying it, maybe this year. My uncle made a good fruitcake, but that generation is gone. I have all of my aunt’s things but have not found any recipes. As far asa I know, no one has the recipe. I hope your family’s version is close.