Behold the fruitcake! 
Are you a fruitcake lover or hater? I don’t think there is much wiggle room…well, maybe a little, especially if you are my hubby. My hubby loves fruitcake. Fruitcake that is dry, not too sweet and with more nuts than candied fruit…if not, he doesn’t like it! Due to my hubby’s proclaimed love for fruitcake, we are gifted with many. He, of course, has to try them all. Some pass the test and get eaten within a day or two. Others have to be modified to match hubby’s fruitcake qualities. For instance, if the fruitcake is too moist, I simply put slices into the oven to dry it out a bit. Any remaining cakes get pushed aside. Which is actually a good thing, most fruitcakes get better with age! Let’s face it, they are made to last. Others are left for me to do my makeover leftover magic. I have had to come up with a few ideas to pass on the fruitcake love for I couldn’t re-gift a fruitcake with a missing slice!
10 Uses for Leftover Fruitcake: (and none of them is for a doorstop!)
Still have leftover pie? Check 10 Uses for Leftover Pie
1. Crumble into batter for muffins, pancakes or waffles 
**Bonus for leftovers. Add leftover cranberry sauce, touch of brown sugar to maple syrup. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Quick Cranberry Maple Syrup
2. Crumble and use in favorite bread pudding or brownie recipe 
3. Crumble and use in basic cookie recipe (Can substitute fruitcake crumbs for potato chip crumbs Potato Chip Cookies ) 
4. Fruitcake Balls-Roll pieces of fruitcake into balls. If fruitcake is not moist enough to hold together, moisten with bourbon or rum…or just add a little more!! Think rum balls 
Leave them plain, roll in chopped nuts or dip each ball into melted chocolate just like when making ice cream balls 
This is my favorite way to have fruitcake, because let’s face it, chocolate makes everything better! These also make a nice gift.
5. Put fruitcake into food processor. Add brown sugar and cinnamon to processed fruitcake crumbs, use as topping for fruit cobbler or sweet potato casserole 
For the following ideas, crumble fruitcake onto a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Baking dries out the fruitcake crumbles and toasts the nuts. (Can also add other nuts and spices.) When done, the crumbles will resemble granola 
Use as you would your favorite granola.
6. Use as topping for an ice cream sundae
7. Stir into oatmeal
8. Sprinkle into yogurt or cereal
9. Add to cooked wild rice, another favorite of mine! 
Use it as a stuffing for chicken, turkey, or pork loin.
10. Add grilled chicken and fruitcake granola to lettuce for a fruit and nut salad, good with poppyseed dressing.
Put your TO COOK IS TO CREATE thinking cap on: What else could be added to the above ideas? What about adding fresh fruit, too? Use fruitcake granola over a banana split. I personally do not eat cottage cheese, but my friend adds her “fruitcake granola” to it. Think of fruitcake as simply fruit and nuts. What else compliments fruit and nuts? How do you usually eat fruit or nuts? I bet you will surprise yourself with other combinations, once you start thinking outside the fruitcake box! Have a favorite cordial-Kahlua, Frangelico? Use it for the fruitcake balls.
FOOD FUN: According to a New York study for The Street, did you know that fruitcake ranks number 6 on the top ten list of most re-gifted items? Considering the oldest reference to fruitcake dates back to Roman times makes for many years of re-gifting! Some would joke the original fruitcake is still around. Johnny Carson did. He said, “The worst gift is a fruitcake. There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other.” Fruitcake jokes, there are many to choose from, just search fruitcake jokes on the internet for a few good chuckles.
