Baker puts heart, soul  into abbey’s fruitcake

Whether it’s a deep-seated hatred, cold-hearted humor or blind affection, no other food prompts as visceral a reaction as fruitcake. It’s the gift that keeps getting re-gifted, a dish given wide berth at holiday dinner parties. It is the Brussels sprouts of the dessert world. For some though, it’s a luxurious treat, one with a heady aroma and dense filling. The task of baking this marginally beloved cake falls to the monks of Holy Cross Abbey.

A personalized note is added to one of the boxes of fruitcakes being shipped out by Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville, Va. on Monday, Nov. 19, 2012. The monks here bake some 10,000 fruitcakes a year, from January to September, and then ship them out primarily for the Christmas season. (Barbara L. Salisbury/The Washington Times)

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