Mom’s Ole Pan

 Tis the season to drag out the ole vintage two piece aluminum Ware-Ever fruit cake pan that collects dust in the dark reaches of the lower cupboard.  This is the same pan my mother used to bake that fascination of my childhood memory.  I’ve never found her recipe but each year I try to duplicate her masterpiece of candied fruits, raisins and spices. Unfortunately I’ve never quite achieved her level of perfection. Perhaps the secret lies in the meticulous process of seasoning. Each day for months she would remove said cake from the sealed tin and apply a dose of old #7 Tennessee sour mash to that ring of goodness. 

Come Christmas the aroma of “fruitcake” left one reeling in anticipation of each bite.  
So I’ll try again… remembering mom and all the love and care she put into all her endeavors.