[Sca-cooks] Fruitcakes in Period?

[Terry Decker]

AFAIK, panforte is the earliest European fruitcake with the first reference 
in the 13th Century.  There are no recipes.  The modern version is honey, 
spices, dried fruits and nuts with a little flour as a binding agent.  It is 
similar to the later recipes for lebkuchen and gingerbread.  Pantonne is a 
little later.  It's difficult to place, but from what I've been able to 
find, I believe the origins are toward the end of period.  Again, no 
recipes.

Bear

> All this semi-serious fruit cake discussion has gotten me to thinking.  Do
> we have a period recipe for fruit cake and, if there are as I suspect
> several, what is the earliest clearly identifiable European fruit cake
> recipe?
>
> Daniel