Rural Missouri - December 2012 - (Page 9)

Left: Brother Thomas, left, gives a batch of fruitcakes a coating of corn syrup for an added shine and to ensure the toppings stay in place. Beginning in February, Trappist Monks at Assumption Abbey bake 125 fruitcakes daily to support their monastic way of life. Below: The setting sun casts light onto Assumption Abbey’s monastery. Since 1950, the monks have called this 3,400-acre property in Douglas County home. Above: Joseph Reisch stirs up fruit that has been marinating in Burgundy wine for two weeks. The fruit will be mixed with batter to form the cake, which will bake for two hours. Below: Rum is injected into freshly baked fruitcakes using a syringe. The cakes are decorated and left to age for several months to allow the ﬂavors to meld. take advantage of what the land offered, they began making concrete blocks, dredging the creeks that run through the property for gravel. For more than two decades, sales from the blocks were enough to sustain the abbey and helped in the construction of a larger monastery in 1970 that is still used today. Demand for the blocks decreased and forced the monks to look for a new source of income. In 1987, as they were developing a bakery, Brother Bernard traveled to St. Louis to learn from French chef Jean-Pierre Augé, who at one time served in the royal employ of the duke and duchess of Windsor in England. Jean-Pierre suggested they try fruitcakes and provided the recipe that is still used today. Although the fruitcake historically has a bad rap, the cakes made in Ava don’t end up as doorstops. Each cake is wrapped and placed inside a metal “My family has been ordering Assumption Abbey tin to age on the bakery’s shelves. Most cakes will fruitcakes for years now, and I would never buy age at least six months before they are shipped. anyone else’s,” says Barbara Gavey of Copperopolis, “It stays pretty quiet around here Calif. “Their fruitcakes are rich, moist until Thanksgiving,” says Michael. “For and positively delicious. In the past, about three weeks after, we send out I tried others, but none have been as around 800 to 1,000 cakes a day. It’s good as theirs.” quite amazing to watch a year’s worth The key to the taste of the abbey’s Learn more about fruitcakes is the aging process. To allow Assumption Abbey and the of cakes go out the door.” Over the years, the monks’ 2-pound each cake time to let the ﬂavors meld fruitcake baking process in a together, production begins in Februvideo in the online edition at creations have been sent to fruitcake lovers in every state in the United ary. The monks work ﬁve days a week. www.ruralmissouri.coop. States and countless countries in “Before we bake, we are marinating Europe, Asia and Africa. the fruit,” says baker Joseph Reisch. “For each batch, “We even had an order go into NASA the other cherries, golden and dark raisins, citron, pineapple, day,” says Joseph. “Who knows? Maybe one of our lemon and orange peels, currants and walnuts are fruitcakes will make it into space.” soaked in Burgundy Although the fruitcakes have earned the monks wine for two weeks.” notoriety for providing holiday cheer, their lives For each batch, stand in sharp contrast to the modern commercialthe marinated fruit is ization of Christmas. dumped into a large vat “This is a very quiet, routine life we have,” says and mixed with a batter Father Cyprian. “All the outside distractions and of brown sugar, butter, rush of daily life can occupy someone. But once that ﬂour, eggs and spices. is all gone, the little things take on full meaning — The mixture is poured by the different changes of the season or the interesthand into 125 cake pans. ing creatures in nature. All of that becomes much The cakes then go more alive. And we see that here every day in our into a rotisserie-style solitude.” convection oven for two hours. Once out of the Assumption Abbey is located 20 miles southeast of oven, the fresh cakes Ava off Highway OO, between Highway N and Highway are injected with golden 14. For more information about Trappist Monks and rum using a syringe. The visiting the abbey, visit www.assumptionabbey.org or call monks then decorate 417-683-5110. each cake by hand with Guest rooms are available for those who wish to pray pecans and green and with the monks. red cherries. A sugary Fruitcakes cost $31 each and can be ordered by visitglaze of corn syrup is ing www.trappistmonks.com or calling 888-738-0117. painted on for an added White crosses mark the graves of lost brothers at the abbey. The monk’s way of life International orders cost more to ship. shine. means leaving all worldly possessions behind for a lifelong commitment to God. DECEMBER 2012 9 http://www.assumptionabbey.org http://www.trappistmonks.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - December 2012

Rural Missouri - December 2012
Table of Contents
Comments
Columns
Faith in fruitcakes
Best of rural Missouri
Pursuing dreams
Outdoors
Out of the Way Eats
Beauty from math and metal
Spreading the Masonic message
Hearth and Home
Rooted in Missouri
Marketplace
Around Missouri
Neighbors
Just4Kids

Rural Missouri - December 2012