Amanda Watson
@amndw2.bsky.social
Librarian, literature geek, knitter, opera fan, book history person. Writing a book about commonplace books and poetry readers. Opinions here are my own. She/her/hers. Queer and furious. 🏳️🌈
Update: Fruitcakes are now cooling off on the countertop waiting for their first spritz of brandy, and my apartment smells delicious.
November 25, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Update: Fruitcakes are now cooling off on the countertop waiting for their first spritz of brandy, and my apartment smells delicious.
One caveat: this recipe makes more batter than will go in a 10" loaf pan. After a major overflow disaster, I got a couple of mini loaf pans and started baking little auxiliary fruitcakes alongside the main one.
November 24, 2025 at 3:35 AM
One caveat: this recipe makes more batter than will go in a 10" loaf pan. After a major overflow disaster, I got a couple of mini loaf pans and started baking little auxiliary fruitcakes alongside the main one.
It's Alton Brown's recipe! Ideally you let it age for about a month, feeding it with brandy every few days, but once or twice I've procrastinated making it until after Thanksgiving, and it's still been good at Christmas. Getting all the dried fruit together is the labor-intensive part.
Free Range Fruitcake
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November 24, 2025 at 3:33 AM
It's Alton Brown's recipe! Ideally you let it age for about a month, feeding it with brandy every few days, but once or twice I've procrastinated making it until after Thanksgiving, and it's still been good at Christmas. Getting all the dried fruit together is the labor-intensive part.
Reasons to love the world, #5 in an occasional series: The annual temporary fir groves on the streets of NYC when the Christmas tree vendors come into town.
November 22, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Reasons to love the world, #5 in an occasional series: The annual temporary fir groves on the streets of NYC when the Christmas tree vendors come into town.
Wikipedia told me she's based on one of Wharton's great-aunts, which is quite possibly where the soft spot comes from!
November 22, 2025 at 2:19 AM
Wikipedia told me she's based on one of Wharton's great-aunts, which is quite possibly where the soft spot comes from!
The precision of that observation! "We want to be seen to care about dressing well, but we also want to be seen to be above paying too much attention to fashion, because that's what the nouveaux riches do."
November 21, 2025 at 5:16 AM
The precision of that observation! "We want to be seen to care about dressing well, but we also want to be seen to be above paying too much attention to fashion, because that's what the nouveaux riches do."
Surely someone has already written the essay about Strauss & Hofmannsthal's fascination with female masculinity? If not, maybe I need to write it?
November 19, 2025 at 5:38 AM
Surely someone has already written the essay about Strauss & Hofmannsthal's fascination with female masculinity? If not, maybe I need to write it?