Christmas and fruitcake seem to go hand in hand. It's one of those seasonal 'treats' that people either love or despise and it doesn't really seem to have a middle ground.

I grew up in a small town where neighbours often exchanged baked goods during the holidays. My mom and I would spend hours rolling out sugar cookies and shortbread, alternating cookie cutters shaped like Christmas trees, stockings and candy canes. As a kid, those were what my holiday dreams were made of.

We usually had one or two fruitcakes gifted to us over the holidays. I can still picture the heavy, round, packages wrapped in parchment paper and then another layer of tinfoil. They were always masked in a round festive tin that could easily be mistaken for cookies until you lifted it! Once you felt that weight... you just knew!

While I certainly appreciated the labour of love, they were never a treat I looked forward to, and I still haven't acquired a taste for them.

I wonder if a fruitcake is more of a symbol than a festive indulgence?  Anyone I know that makes them has a recipe that's been handed down for generations, and it seems to be more about the holiday tradition.

I'm looking for a show of hands for all the fruitcake lovers out there. Am I missing something? Is there a recipe I need to try?

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-Shilpa