It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And you know what that means? Fruitcake season. Fruitcake is, in fact, the agent of wonderfulness during the holidays. The timeless (literally, it defies expiration dates) treat has hit the shelves for an all-to-brief time period leading up to Christmas.
It’s important to know your fruitcake: it comes in many shapes and sizes. Some types are dense and infused with liquor. Some types are light, like Hawaiian bread (that’d be panettone), and then there’s Stollen, that’s a long flat German fruit loaf, often coated in powdered sugar and loaded with raisins and citron.
Of course, you don’t have to go to Germany to score some stollen. Ohio’s Reinecker’s Bakery in Macedonia makes its very own stollen right here in the Midwest. In business for more than 60 years, Reinecker’s is well-known for its cakes, pastries and breads.
Stollen is generally a good gateway for those who aren’t sure about whether they might like fruitcake. Traditional dense fruitcakes that are wall-to-wall fruit and nuts can, honestly, be a bit much. Reinecker’s stollen is closer to a raisin bread with extra bits of orange peel. It has a dense grain that pairs well with butter (bread does like butter) and the whole loaf is well-coated with the requisite powdered sugar. The basic house version of stollen is called “Christollen,” but for those who appreciate marzipan, Reinecker’s also makes a version with a fold of the sweet stuff in the middle.
Beyond fruitcake, Reinecker’s makes a host of other baked goods – lots of versions of rye bread, as well as other whole grain loaves. For those hankering for something sweet, the bakery also turns out fancy cakes and pastries including Bobka and treats with fruit filling. You can find its wares in local gourmet grocers (it has 200 retail outlets) or at www.reineckersbakery.com.