Assumption Abbey Fruitcakes are the dark, rich, traditional style of fruitcake. Each year the monks make thousands of their popular fruitcakes, which are known for their deep, complex flavor that improves with age. They are baked slowly and aged under the careful supervision of the monks. Everything, from marinating the fruit, to mixing, to baking, to packaging, to aging, to mailing is done right at the Monastery by the monks. Each 2lb fruitcake comes packaged in it's own metal tin and vacuum sealed for freshness. The fruitcakes are shipped all over the world, but of course, the bulk of the stock comes during the holiday months. The dedication to high quality and careful work of the monks ensures that Assumption Abbey fruitcakes are among this country's finest.
About The Abbey
Assumption Abbey is a community of monks of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance, popularly known as Trappists. The Abbey was founded from New Melleray Abbey in Iowa in 1950, in the rugged foothills of the Ozarks, some twenty miles south of the small town of Ava, Missouri. Through the years, the brothers have continued to live by the centuries old Trappist tradition of contemplation and study, private prayer and common worship, earning their living by the work of their own hands. When Assumption Abbey was first developing its bakery, the monks sought the help of world class chef Jean-Pierre Augé, who at one time served in the royal employ of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Mr. Augé's assistance, and his generosity in providing the recipe and ideas for production, gave the monks the impetus to go forward with the Assumption Abbey Fruitcakes.
Making The Cake
Candied and dried fruit – which includes pineapple, cherries, lemon and orange peels, black and golden raisins and currants – is soaked for two weeks in four gallons of Burgundy wine. The fruit mixture is combined in a large metal container with flour, eggs, butter, sugar, brown sugar, walnuts, vanilla and cinnamon to make the cake batter. The batter is mixed by hand and is is poured into round cake pans lined with red paper and the batter is distributed evenly so that each one is perfect. The pans are then placed onto baking trays and rest on tall sheet-pan racks until it’s time to bake.
After baking, each fruitcake gets eight squirts of rum – about an ounce total – from injector needles. They’re then brushed with a splash of hot corn syrup before the brothers add pecans, arranged in the shape of a cross. Red and green cherries are next, and the final touch is another glaze of syrup.After this, the cakes are vaccuum-sealed and placed in matel tins where they sit on racks to age for months to let the flavors blend together.
Over the years, the monks have perfected this process and now make around 126 cakes daily and fulfill over 30,000 fruitecake orders each year.
Ingredients
Raisins (sulfites added), Pineapple (corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, citrate acid, potassium sorbate, turmeric) English Walnuts, Eggs, Flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour), Sugar, Brown Sugar, Wine, Cherries – Green (Blue #1, Yellow #5) – Red (Red #40, Butter (salt added) Corn Syrup, Currants, Rum, Orange & Lemon Peel (Inverted Sugar, citric acid, preservatives: 1/10 of 1% sodium benzoate, sorbic acid, sulphur dioxide) Pecans, Whole Milk, Pure Vanilla Extract, Baking Soda, Cinnamon, Mace, Sodium Propionate added as a preservative.
Contains: Eggs, Milk, Wheat and Tree Nuts
Width (in) | 6.50 |
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Length (in) | 6.50 |
Height (in) | 2.25 |
Origin | Assumption Abbey - Missouri, USA |
Specific Material | Fruitcake |