It isn’t wholly the holiday without my mom’s fruitcake. I never got mine last year due to the pandemic. So they thawed and enjoyed it over Thanksgiving, which is fine.
But this year, I travelled home, so this year’s fruitcake is all mine!

My mom has made a habit of doubling the candied fruit. Wait! It isn’t a habit, it’s a personality trait. (She also doubles the gumdrops in her gumdrop cookies!)

Ages ago, a friend served his fruitcake with his mother’s plum hard sauce. While I’ve never found that recipe, I have landed on my own creme de almond hard sauce.

I found the Pioneer Woman’s hard sauce recipe, and substituted creme de almond for whiskey.

It’s a rich treat for certain, but the textures are amazing!

