Jeff Houck

The Tampa Tribune’s food writer since 2005, Jeff Houck covers the way people live through their food. He also hosts the Table Conversations food podcast and believes that everything crunchy is good.

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Fruitcake Haiku, Part Tres [The Legend Of Mrs. Harvey Lives On]

Posted Dec 3, 2008 by Jeff Houck

Updated Dec 3, 2008 at 04:23 PM

Anything worth doing should be worth doing three times.

That’s the theory we’re going with in our decision to bring back the Mrs. Harvey’s White Fruitcake Haiku Contest for a triumphant third incarnation.

For those who may be unaware, there’s some history behind this.

For 57 years, the recipe for Lucille Harvey‘s white fruitcake has run in the Tampa Tribune the week after Thanksgiving. So beloved is the cake, readers still clamor for the recipe, often as early as the summer months. Havoc awaits the editor or reporter who interrupts that kind of a publishing streak.

Since 2006, we’ve honored the tradition by soliciting fruitcake-themed haiku from readers. The response has been overwhelming, with authors sending up to a dozen poems at once.

Last year’s winner came from Camila Sainz de la Pena of Tampa, who penned this ditty:

Black cherries, sugar —

the existential fruitcake

knows his life is fluff.

Mmmm. Reads just as delicious as it did the day it arrived.

Ona Wells of Zephyrhills took top honors in 2006 with this verse:

Fruitcakes are nutty

Although the one I married

Is much nuttier.

To judge this year’s contest, we’ve asked artist Evelyn Sanchez of Brandon to lend her considerable expertise. Each year, Sanchez bakes dozens of fruitcakes using Mrs. Harvey’s recipe to raise money for charity and for the congregation she belongs to at Brandon Church of God.

Last year, her profits from selling the 5-pound and 1 1/4-pound fruitcakes were sent to a home in Israel for orphans and children affected by terrorism.

She’s already started baking for this year. Big fruitcakes go for $35 this year, with smaller ones selling for $9. Those decorated with candy fruit sell for an additional $1.50 and $0.50 respectively. (To place an order, call Sanchez at (813) 689-4897.)

We’ve already had some great entries, such as:

Sweet, candied fruit chunks

Sometimes a cube, sometimes round

Looks like vomit

Laurie Griffith, Clearwater

The perfect end for

The well-traveled fruitcake gift—

Burial at sea

Janet Watson, Wesley Chapel

Delish white fruitcake

Sold for worthy orphanage

Call in your order

Sharon Mayhew, Brandon

As for the contest, here are a few rules:

For those unfamiliar with the form, a haiku is a three-line verse that must have five syllables in the first line, seven in the second and another five in the third.

The one key ingredient: Each haiku must have something related to fruitcake as its topic. A small suggestion: Go for the funny. No one likes a sourpuss holiday haiku.

All submissions should include your full name, address and phone number where you can be reached.

The deadline for submissions is Dec. 8. The winner will be announced in Baylife Magazine on Dec. 21.

First prize is a copy of the new book “Martha Stewart’s Cooking School.” It’s a $45 value. Prizes for second and third place also will be awarded.

You can e-mail your haiku, subject line Fruitcake Haiku, to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Or you can click here and enter it online.

And for the record, here’s the recipe:

MRS. HARVEY’S WHITE FRUITCAKE

4 cups shelled pecans

1 pound candied cherries

1 pound candied pineapple

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 pound butter

1 cup sugar

5 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 to 2 ounces vanilla extract

1/2 to 2 ounces lemon extract

Chop nuts and fruit into medium-size pieces; dredge with 1/4 cup of flour. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Sift together remaining flour and baking powder; fold into butter-egg mixture. Stir in vanilla and lemon extracts. Blend in fruit and nuts.

Grease a 10-inch tube pan.

Line with parchment, wax paper or foil; grease again. Pour batter into prepared pan or pans. Place in cold oven and bake 2 1/2 to 3 hours in tube pan or 2 hours in 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pans at 250 degrees. Check cakes 1 hour before done and again in 30 minutes. When done, remove from oven; cool in pans on cake rack.

Makes 5 pounds of fruitcake.

Note: In 4 1/2-by-2 1/2-by-1 1/2-inch (baby) loaf pans, bake cake about 1 hour. For 1-pound cakes in 2-pound coffee cans, bake about 2 hours. In 5-ounce custard cups, bake about 1 hour. And in ungreased foil bonbon cups, bake about 30 minutes.

Speaking of fruitcake ladies, this marks the second season since the passing of Marie Rudisill, better known as “The Fruitcake Lady” from NBC’s Tonight Show.

Here’s a great homage to her that ran on the night she passed away: