Christmas

The Christmas Letters series

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Back in 2022, I bought a pre-made book cover from Covers & Cupcakes LLC.

I had no idea what I’d do with it. but the image of a snowy mailbox with mountains behind it just spoke to me.

I started thinking about that cover, and a storyline about a woman who was a Santa expert came to mind.

Then I started thinking about letters. Actual, in-the-mail, hold-in-my-hand letters. Hardly anyone takes takes the time to write a pen to paper letter these days. In fact, I’ve had several friends mention how much they miss receiving letters.

So, that got me thinking about how special and meaningful a hand written letter can be.

And I started thinking about a series of stories that begin with a letter.

The cover I originally bought became the cover for the first book in my new Christmas Letters sweet and wholesome contemporary romance series.

And the idea for the Santa expert story became the third book, which I wrote last, because the second book and fourth books are about cousins, so I wrote those together in an effort to keep as much consistency between the books. (And that wasn’t confusing at all!)

Christmas Letters is a series about four friends, all experts on something related to Christmas, and their journeys to finding love.

He can’t save Christmas, but he can save her tree farm.

Dr. Jaxon Frost, a highly regarded authority on Christmas trees, is known nationwide for his expertise in the field. Preferring solitude, he dedicates his life to his work. However, his routine is interrupted when he receives an unexpected letter from Holly Crest Tree Farms, seeking his assistance in identifying a disease affecting their Christmas trees. Jaxon heads to the farm and is caught completely by surprise to find the owner isn’t a crusty old farmer, but a beautiful woman who captures his interest and admiration. He will do anything to help Jaylyn save her trees, even at the risk of losing his heart.

Jaylyn Smith carries the weight of immense responsibility as the owner and manager for Holly Crest Tree Farm, a family-owned business passed down through four generations. The fate of their cherished legacy, symbolized by their beautiful Christmas trees, rests solely on her shoulders. When she can’t identify a disease attacking a section of trees, she reaches out to an expert for help. Jaxon Frost is nothing like she expected, but everything her heart has been longing for.

Will their collective efforts salvage the valued heritage of her family?

Discover the answer in Dear Mister Frost, a heartwarming and sweet holiday romance that exudes warmth, laughter, and the joy of the festive Christmas season.

He can’t create a miracle,  but he can give the gift of love

 When heirloom ornament maker Sam Silver receives Erika Esposito’s heartfelt letter, he is deeply moved by her plea for a special ornament for her dying son, Joey. Despite having shut himself off from the world due to his own personal trauma, Sam feels compelled to step out of his shell to help Erika and Joey.

Erika, who has already experienced a profound loss with the unexpected death of her husband, is desperate to bring some joy into Joey’s life as he battles cancer. She reaches out to Sam, unaware that her plea will bring not only hope but also the possibility of finding love again.

Rich in Christmas spirit, Dear Mister Silver offers a tender and heartwarming holiday romance. Sam’s journey as Ornament Guy, crafting heirloom ornaments as a way to rebuild his life, takes on a whole new meaning as he pours his heart into creating a special ornament for Joey. Through his efforts, Sam not only brings joy to a little boy but also discovers the wonder of opening his heart to love.

Filled with warmth and touching moments, this story reminds readers of the magic that shimmers in acts of kindness, and how love and hope can be the greatest gifts of the holiday season.

 

She’s striving for success, not searching for romance

 Lyra Nicholas is a renowned expert on all things related to jolly old Saint Nick. When she receives a letter from Tucker Lee, a rancher in a small Oregon town, she hesitates to consider his request to help his sister with a museum exhibit. But something in the note intrigues her, and she soon finds herself in The Dalles, preparing for a grand Santa installation. Then she meets Tucker and finds herself falling love.

Tucker Lee will do anything for his sister even if it means groveling to a snooty Santa expert to set up an exhibit at the museum Remi manages. Expecting an old, dowdy female, Tucker is taken aback when he meets Lyra, a beautiful young woman who makes him realize there may be more to life than running his ranch.

As they work together to make the exhibit a success, sparks dance between them like twinkling tree lights.

The essence of Christmas, the joy of family, delightful humor, and heartfelt emotions take center stage in Dear Miss Nicholas, a wholesome and uplifting holiday romance.

 

She’s not about to give him a second chance, even when it comes to love

Halston Baker’s career took a nosedive when she crossed paths with Kutter Hayes five years ago. Now, Halston has rebuilt her life and found success as a gingerbread house designer. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase her skills at a Las Vegas resort with a life-size gingerbread village. Little does she know that Kutter, the man who turned her life upside down, is also in town for the finals rodeo. Despite her head shouting at her to stay far away from the troublesome cowboy, her heart has other plans.

Kutter has his own plans and ambitions for his career as a stock contractor and not a single one of them involve fiery, feisty Halston. She blames him for ruining her dreams, and is as prickly as his grandmother’s pin cushion. But as Kutter spends more time with Halston, he realizes there is far more to the fascinating woman than her ability to create amazing gingerbread houses.

As the magic of the holiday season wraps around them, Halston and Kutter must decide whether to follow their hearts and pursue love or step away from what might be their chance at a happily ever after.

Dear Miss Baker is a treat for the senses, combing the flavors of the season with the joys only Christmas and first love can bring in a wholesome holiday romance.

What about you?

Do you like to receive or write letters?

What’s the most meaningful letter or note you’ve ever received?

Or who would you like to receive a letter from?

Share your answer in the comments for a chance to win a digital set of all four books!

10 years of Cowboys & Christmas

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Tomorrow is a big day for me.

It’s the 10th annual Cowboys & Christmas Celebration on Facebook – a party that gives me an excuse to have a day of fun with my author and reader friends while raising funds and awareness for the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund.

Ten years.

When I hosted the first party, I never imagined it would turn into an annual event. But it has, and I’m so glad!

It all started with a trip Captain Cavedweller and I took to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

We were at the airport, waiting to catch our flight home, and I noticed there were a lot of other rodeo attendees waiting to go home as well. The airport was a sea of cowboy hats!

As we sat there, I started thinking about how fun it would be for a rodeo cowboy to meet an uptight business executive at the airport and fall in love.

By the time we landed, The Christmas Cowboy, the first book in the Rodeo Romance series, was already taking shape.

After I began writing the story, though, I wanted to know how much care an injured rodeo cowboy would receive right there at the rodeo arena before they sent him to the hospital.

In the story, the hero is a saddle bronc rider named Tate who sustains an injury at a rodeo. In an attempt to get my facts straight for the story, I reached out to the Justin Sportsmedicine Team®. Through mobile medical centers, they provide care at more than 125 PRCA rodeos annually. Their responses to my questions were extremely helpful and I was so impressed with them, I wanted to do a little something in return.

That’s when I learned about the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund.

Most rodeo athletes aren’t able to get insurance because it isn’t a matter of “if” they get hurt but “when.” Because of that, when they sustain injuries that leave them unable to compete (and earn money) for an extended time, it can leave them in a financially challenging situation.

That’s where the JCCF comes in. They give a hand up to those athletes, helping them cover their bills so they can focus on healing.  The other wonderful thing about the JCCF is that 100 percent of all donations go into the fund.

In 2013, I launched a campaign to donate a portion of my book sales to the JCCF during the month of December and held the first party to help spread the word.

In 2015, I added the month of November to my promotion, giving two months to raise funds for JCCF. Then I extended the promotion period for my Read a Book, Help a Cowboy campaign to October 1!

So from October 1 through December 24, ten percent of the net proceeds from all my book sales (eBook, paperback, hardback, and audio all count!) will be donated to the JCCF.

I hope to see you at the party tomorrow! The fun begins at 10 a.m. (Pacific Time: 11 a.m. MT, Noon CT, 1 p.m. ET). Join the party by clicking the button below. It will be a day full of connecting with some of your favorite authors, games, giveaways, and more!

And if Facebook parties aren’t your thing, you can still support the Read A Book, Help A Cowboy campaign through every book you purchase between now and Christmas Eve.

In fact, I have a brand new book coming November 30 in the Rodeo Romance series!

Will an innocent offer of help lead two obstinate hearts along the road to love?

Truitt Lucas is the guy who brings laughter wherever he goes and refuses to take life too seriously. Beneath his carefree exterior, though, he yearns for more adventure and excitement than he’ll find working on the family ranch alongside his cousin and grandmother. When the opportunity arises to assist a trick rider, Truitt eagerly lends a hand. However, he soon finds himself drawn to the perplexing woman who barely tolerates him.

Jolee Judson is living her dream as a trick rider on the rodeo circuit, using her lifelong passion for horses and gymnastics to wow the crowds. But when her partner unexpectedly abandons her, Jolee is just desperate enough to accept a good-natured cowboy’s offer to help. Fascinated and infuriated by Truitt and his shenanigans, Jolee struggles against her growing feelings for him. Falling for Truitt could spell disaster for her future and derail everything she’s worked for.

Can the two of them find common ground where trust is earned and love becomes a cherished gift?

A sweet holiday novel full of the magic of Christmas, Tricking Christmas brims with small-town humor, heartwarming moments, and wholesome romance..

If you were hosting a holiday party,

and could invite anyone,

who would you like to attend?
Post your answer for a chance to win a digital copy of the first three books in the Rodeo Romance series!

CHRISTMAS CAROLS! I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

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When I was thinking about what carol to share during out history of Christmas carols week, the one that first popped into my thoughts was I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.

I don’t know what it is about this song that has always struck a chord with me, but it has.

I knew it was written by a poet, but I had no idea how the song came to be.


The story of this beloved carol begins with the story of a man who would at one time become known as America’s poet.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) on engraving from 1873

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in 1807 in Portland, Maine. He attended Bowdoin College, which was founded by his grandfather and his father was a trustee, then became a professor there. It was also while there he met Nathaniel Hawthorne, who became a lifelong friend  He studied in Europe before returning to America and Harvard College.

He married young, but his first wife, Mary, died of a miscarriage in 1835.

His second wife, Francis (Fanny) Appleton, was not easy for him to catch. In July 1839, he wrote: “Victory hangs doubtful. The lady says she will not! I say she shall! It is not pride, but the madness of passion.” He must have eventually wore down her defenses. On May 10, 1843, after seven years, Longfellow received a letter from Fanny Appleton agreeing to marry him. According to lore, he was too restless to take a carriage and walked ninety minutes to meet her at her house. They wed soon after, and her father purchased the Vassall-Craigie House, built in 1759, as a wedding gift. The house had once served as General George Washington’s headquarters during 1775-1776. Longfellow resided there the remainder of his life.

Fanny and Henry had six children: Charles, Ernest, Fanny (who died in infancy), Alice Mary, Edith, and Anne Allegra.

In July, 1861, Fanny was placing locks of the childrens’ hair into an envelope she intended to seal with hot wax while Henry took a nap. It is uncertain how it happened, but her dress caught fire. Henry awakened from his nap and tried to put out the fire with a rug, but it was too small. He finally stifled the flames with his body, but Fanny was badly burned. She died the next morning. Longfellow had also been burned so badly trying to save her he was unable to attend her funeral. His facial injuries led him to stop shaving and he wore his trademark beard the rest of his life.

The death of his beloved Fanny left him devastated. He found it hard to write for quite some time, consumed by his grief.

In 1863, without permission or blessing from Henry, Charles (who was still in his teens), joined the Union Army, leaving behind a letter that stated he felt it his duty to do what he could for his country. He traveled to Washington D.C., where he sought to enlist as a private with the 1st Massachusetts Artillery. Captain W. H. McCartney, commander of Battery A, wrote to Henry, requesting written permission for Charley to become a soldier. Henry granted the permission, then wrote to his friends Charles Sumner (senator from Massachusetts), John Andrew (governor of Massachusetts), and Edward Dalton (medical inspector of the Sixth Army Corps) to lobby for his son to become an officer. His efforts weren’t entirely necessary as Charley had already impressed his fellow soldiers and superiors with his skills, and on March 27, 1863, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry, assigned to Company “G.”

Charley fell ill with “camp fever” (some think it may have been typhoid or malaria), and was sent home to recover, missing the Battle of Gettysburg, before he rejoined his unit in August.  In November, during the Battle of Mine Run, Charley was shot through the left shoulder, with the bullet exiting under his right shoulder blade. It had traveled across his back and nicked his spine. Charley was carried into New Hope Church in Virginia, then transported to Rapidan River before being taken to Washington D.C., where Henry and Ernest traveled to take care of Charley.

On Christmas Day in 1863, Henry, the widowed father of five living children—the oldest of which had been almost paralyzed as he fought in a war that was tearing the country apart—sought to capture the dynamic and dissonance he felt in his heart and observed in the world around him. As he listened to the church bells in Cambridge ring out, he put pen to paper and wrote “Christmas Bells” a poem first published in February 1865 in Our Young Folks, a magazine published by Ticknor and Fields.

In 1872, English organist John Baptiste Calkin set the poem to music, accompanied  by a melody he had previously used. The Calkin version of the carol was long the standard. Other versions have been composed, the most popular being Johnny Marks version in 1956. Bing Crosby recorded the carol using Marks’ melody and verses 1, 2, 6, and 7.  The tune Marks composed has received more than 60 commercial recordings, with sales exceeding five million copies.

Longfellow wrote many lyric poems and became the most popular American poet of his day, as well as one lauded overseas. Yet, he was criticized for a writing style that could be too sentimental.

I, for one, am glad he ignored the critics and wrote “Christmas Bells.” It’s a carol that reminds us all to offer “peace on earth, good will to men” with its haunting, heartfelt lyrics.

If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend watching the newly released movie about this carol and Henry’s story. From Sight & Sound Film, I Heard the Bells is an incredible, heartwarming celebration of love, devotion, and hope.

And enjoy this beautiful version of the song by Rachel Day Hughes who plays Fanny in the movie:

From our home and hearts to yours –

Merry Christmas! 

A QUOTABLE CHRISTMAS! by Cheryl Pierson

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Hi everyone! Just in case a person hasn’t noticed, Christmas is ON THE WAY, barreling down on us like a runaway rollercoaster. With Thanksgiving happening this week, Christmas will be here a little over 4 weeks from Thanksgiving Day. Some years, I’m more “in the holiday mood” than others, and I imagine it’s that way for everyone. My mom was a stickler for keeping our holidays in order–no Christmas-y decorating until Thanksgiving was over. As I get older, I agree with her in many ways, but gosh, I feel the need to get my Christmas decorating DONE so I can relax and enjoy it! LOL 

Christmas always brings back wonderful memories of home and family, doesn’t it? One of the things I remember so well about my dad was how he could call forth the perfect quote for just about anything and everything.   He always made Christmas a very special time of year around our house and was a true practical joker. He was a super-intelligent man with an IQ off the scale (I didn’t get that from him, sadly<G>) and as an adult, I understand why he was able to remember so many things and be able to say them at just the right time–as a child, it was a mystical thing. One of the things I’ve come to appreciate with adulthood is how hard my dad worked to provide for us. He loved to read and was an eloquent writer–I think if he could have made a living at it, he’d have given it a try himself. Thinking about him and his love for quotes prompted me to go in search of some heartwarming Christmas quotes.

I found some great quotes, published in ABOUT.COM, and wanted to share them with you.  Here’s a picture of my dear mom, El Wanda, and my dad, Fred,  when they were young newlyweds, back in 1944. Christmas is always an especially poignant time for me since my dad passed on December 23, 2007, and Mama followed him to heaven only 3 weeks later, on January 12, 2008.  I love Christmas because they both loved it so much. Raised during the Oklahoma Dust Bowl days, the Depression, and being so very poor, they made sure that Christmas was a “feeling” and a special time for family, friends, and abounding love at our house. 

There were so many of these–I just picked a few, but they are all great!

Edna Ferber, Roast Beef Medium Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.
Bess Streeter Aldrich, Song of Years Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart… filled it, too, with melody that would last forever.
Lenora Mattingly Weber, Extension Christmas is for children. But it is for grownups too. Even if it is a headache, a chore, and nightmare, it is a period of necessary defrosting of chill and hide-bound hearts.
Louisa May Alcott The rooms were very still while the pages were softly turned and the winter sunshine crept in to touch the bright heads and serious faces with a Christmas greeting.
Charles N. Barnard The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas trees are perfect!
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol But I am sure that I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round… as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely.
W. J. Tucker, Pulpit Preaching For centuries men have kept an appointment with Christmas. Christmas means fellowship, feasting, giving and receiving, a time of good cheer, home.
Mary Ellen Chase Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.
Dr. Seuss And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?
G. K. Chesterton When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time.  Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?
Dale Evans Christmas, my child, is love in action.


Andy Rooney One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.
Hugh Downs Something about an old-fashioned Christmas is hard to forget.
Freya Stark Christmas is not an eternal event at all, but a piece of one’s home that one carries in one’s heart.
Marjorie Holmes At Christmas, all roads lead home.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas (when it gets here!) and that many of these quotes make your heart glad this Christmas season! Thanks so much for being a regular part of our lives here at Petticoats and Pistols! For some reason, this is one of those years when I am SO ready for Christmas! Do you have any special Christmas quotes or poems you love? PLEASE SHARE!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOODNIGHT! (But first, have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!)

Come Along To the Town Square

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It seems that no matter where you go, almost every small town has a square. Back in the 1800s, they served as gathering places for the community, focal points for important events and celebrations. These were where courthouses were built, where people could sell and buy things, be entertained in concerts, have dances. Politicians often gave speeches on town squares. On the darker side, they used to hold hangings, lynchings, and such on them. Thank goodness they don’t do that anymore. Shops, offices, and cafes surround this area and usually there is a large clock or a fountain.

People decorate the squares for Christmas and often exhibit a manger scene. In a lot of town squares, you’ll find statues or a veteran’s memorial. There are famous squares like Red Square in Russia, Tiananmen Square in China, and Jackson Square in New Orleans.

Town squares held great importance in earlier times, even as far back as the Bronze Age, and hopefully still do in the smaller communities. But in the U.S. they’ve mostly disappeared in larger cities, swallowed up by progress.

The town square plays an important part in my new Christmas book, HOPE’S ANGEL.

Jericho Cane is an outcast, labeled a monster because of his injuries, and shunned by the town of Genesis. He finds refuge in the darkness of his home, going out only after everyone sleeps. A new woman doctor is determined to change that and comes up with a plan to place Jericho’s sculpture of an angel in the town square. Yet when she encounters opposition, the chances of making this work are slim. If she fails, she knows Jericho will be lost for good.

I started this story years ago and set it aside while I wrote a contracted book. I forgot about it until this past August when I ran across it by chance. It was too good to languish in a file so I finished and self-published it. I think in many ways, I was a better writer back then. I’m very proud of this story that holds the message of kindness, acceptance of others, and a healing of wounds.

If you haven’t seen my video, please watch.

Even in this day and age, we tend to shun people who are different and that’s so sad. Everyone wants to be loved.

This is available in both print and Kindle Unlimited. Click HERE.

If you live in a place with a town square, how do they use it? Do they decorate at Christmas? Is it a place for singing, dancing? Buying or selling? I have four copies of Hope’s Angel to give away so be sure to leave a comment.

Merry Christmas from Jeannie Watt

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Do you remember Woolworth’s Stores? When my mom was a very young mother, she visited the Woolworth’s in Spokane, Washington to Christmas shop and she saw these very cute stockings with names spelled out in sequins. She could not work the cost of a custom-made stocking for her baby daughter–me–into her meager Christmas budget, but she was able to purchase a less expensive stocking and sequins and make her own. She did the same when my brother was born.

My stocking has hung every Christmas since 1957. It’s getting a little tattered, and truth be told, it isn’t often filled, but every now and again I find a thoughtful bauble in the toe. The last was a beautiful garnet ring. It did, however, always get stuffed to the brim when I was a kid and loved emptying it.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday, filled with lovely moments which will become equally lovely memories.

Merry Christmas!

Jeannie

 

IT WOULDN’T BE CHRISTMAS IF WE DIDN’T DO THIS…by Cheryl Pierson

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Growing up, traditions in my house included putting up a live Christmas tree every year—very few people had an artificial tree “back then”—and of course, setting up our little nativity set. Mom always made fudge and she’d make divinity for my dad, and wait with fingers crossed to see if it would “turn out” like it should.

One thing we always had on our tree were the silver tinsel icicles—and back then, they were made of real aluminum—not this cheap plastic stuff you buy now! So, we saved those icicles from year to year and carefully placed them back on the cardboard holder as we “de-decorated” the tree. I thought we must be the only people who did that, but it turns out, that is a not-so-fond memory that many people my age have.

Our tree was usually not the best—when I wanted a nice, full Scotch pine tree, Mom would shake her head and frown. “Cheryl, those things cost SEVEN DOLLARS!” she’d say. We always got a “regular tree” that cost between $4-$5. I remember one year we paid $5.50, and that was the most I ever can remember paying for a Christmas tree. That was a LOOOONNG time ago!

My “smaller” tree–I downsized. I have a ladder with an elf and Santa climbing up on the side that has been a tradition since my kids were tots.

But our tree, though not “top of the line”, was decorated with love—and our traditional ornaments that had meaning. I inherited many of those ornaments, and I still use them, some that I made in kindergarten. Through the years, we’ve added ornaments made by our children, Jessica and Casey, and ornaments that we bought for them for their own collections.

Jessica, age 3, ornament made in Mother’s Day Out, and Casey age 1.

I’ve never had a “theme” tree. My theme is the same every year. Just memories that are so precious, through the preservation of the ornaments I remember as a child, and those that have been added since, each one with a special story of its own. Handmade items from school years, “our first Christmas” from the year hubby and I were married, a set of little cheap plastic bells and lanterns that my dad bought when I was little and loved the tree a bit too much. Those are special because he wanted me to be able to enjoy Christmas, too, and those were indestructible!

Plastic pink bell and plastic silver lantern–Dad bought these for me when I was learning to walk and loving the tree! Talk about antiques! 

Yes, I still use icicle tinsel. My kids roll their eyes, but to me, it wouldn’t be Christmas without it!

 

This is a small tree I bought a few years back when I was really sick with the flu before Christmas–it was all I could manage that year–the only year I didn’t have a regular tree with tinsel–and now I use it as a decoration on my old 78 record player top along with the ceramic train my mom made many years ago.

Another tradition that always is a must at our house is making fudge. Although we have to be careful about how much of it we eat, that’s the only time of year I make it. That always brings back great memories of home and growing up, for me, and I hope it will for my kids, too. There is no replacement for certain tastes and smells, is there?

Our first Christmas together–that was 42 years ago!

My third just “couldn’t, wouldn’t ever miss doing” tradition at Christmas is setting up our old nativity set. It’s the same one my parents bought before I was ever born. Oh, has it been through some rough times! But it’s so precious to me. I still remember how enthralled I was as a child with that cardboard stable and the figurines. The manger is cardboard too, with bits of straw glued to it. It’s not beautiful by any means. But it is to me, because of the memories.

This angel always goes near the top of my tree. My mom gave each of us girls one of these one Christmas–back in the ’70’s–and I always think of her when I put it on the tree. Another tradition I just couldn’t miss!

Sammy, directing the decorating and enjoying the Christmas ambience!

 

Do you have a tradition at your house that you just wouldn’t be able to do without at Christmas? Let’s hear about them!

Everyone have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy your holidays!

The Traditional Christmas Fruitcake – Western-Style

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I don’t know about you, but when I think of fruitcake, I think of the currant version, with almost sickly-sweet candies instead of real fruit, soaked in enough sugar to make a person vibrate out of existence if they eat a slice.

So, when I was writing a scene for an upcoming book, A Sugar Plum Christmas, and I needed a good, honest-to-goodness pioneer sweet…fruitcake really didn’t top my list. Does it top anyone’s? I was skeptical until I started watching videos on how these things were made.

traditional fruitcake

Enter the Way-Back machine…

Firstly, historians aren’t wholly certain how far back fruitcakes go (is that really a surprise?). They know cakes like these were used as rations for the Roman Army, right around 27 BC. For all we know, those are still in existence. I kid…sort of.

Even then, the Romans knew that soaking the fruit, and the cake when it was complete, in alcohol, would make it safe for eating much longer than other breads. Plus, it’s calorie dense. I’ll skip the joke where I say it’s pretty dense in other ways…that’s just too easy.

From the Roman Empire to a Rancher’s Table

Well, like the Roman Empire, the Old West didn’t have many options for keeping food, especially sweets that weren’t hard candy, from spoiling. Age-old methods are tried and true and fruitcakes became the dessert of choice for Victorian homes during Christmas.

The cake was often made three months ahead of time, using the berries and fruits collected from the year before to make room for ones just collected. They would be soaked in whatever alcohol was readily available. Despite the feeling about alcohol now, feelings were different then, even children occasionally drank and women often used alcohol for homemade tinctures, so the ingredients were often right on hand.

fruitcake ingredients

Wherefore Art Thou, Orange

With the advent of the Transcontinental Railway in the 1880s, the one ingredient that might have been hard to come by, suddenly wasn’t. Oranges. The recipe calls for the peel of one orange and I can imagine that, prior to the availability caused by the railroad, that made the fruitcake taste much differently. Perhaps they found a way to dry and save the peels when they were more readily available during the summer months. I couldn’t find any site to confirm or deny that.

What’s interesting to me is that orange peel is one of the few items in a fruitcake recipe that doesn’t change. The spices seem to vary, the amount of flour fluxuates, what type of alcohol doesn’t matter, the types of fruits and nuts are loosey-goosey. But the orange peel is a staple.

Recipe Time

My mother-in-law has a recipe for fruitcake from her mother and she and her sisters have not shared it yet, but they do get together annually (barring weather or the illness that shall not be named) to make one or three. I do not have that recipe, but I hear it’s pretty good. The cake is usually gone by the time I hear about it. However, here is a fabulous recipe, that I might even try:
Cite: The Old Farmer’s Almanac

INGREDIENTS

  • 4-5 pounds fruit and nuts:
  • 1 pound dark raisins
  • 1 pound white raisins
  • 1/2 pound currants
  • 1/2 pound candied cherries
  • 1/2 pound candied pineapple
  • 1/4 pound candied citron
  • 2 ounces candied orange peel
  • 2 ounces candied lemon peel
  • 1/4 pound blanched whole almonds
  • 1/4 pound whole pecans
  • 1/2 cup Madeira
  • 1/2 cup dark rum
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon each: cinnamon, cloves, mace, and allspice
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 5 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Put the raisins and currants in a large bowl, add the Madeira and the rum and let stand, covered, overnight. Then add the candied fruits and mix well. Sift the spices and soda with 1-½ cups of the flour, combine the remaining flour with the nuts. Add all to the fruits, mixing lightly.

In another large bowl, beat the butter until light and cream in the sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and almond extract. Add the fruit and nut mixture to the batter and stir well. Turn the batter into a well greased tube or spring mold pan. A 10-inch pan will do for this 5-½ pound cake, or two smaller cakes may be made. Bake the large cake in an oven preheated to 275 degrees F for 3-½ to 4 hours, or until a cake tester inserted near the center of the cake comes out dry. The smaller cakes will take half the time.

Let the cake stand in the pan on a wire rack for half an hour, run a knife around the pan, if a spring mold, loosen it and remove the cake gently to a piece of heavy aluminum foil large enough to enclose it completely. Fold the closing double to seal the cake completely. Once or twice before Christmas, open the foil and pour a little additional rum or wine on the cake.

When ready to use, decorate the top of the cake with a wreath of pecans and maraschino cherries and thin slices of candied fruit.