My grandmother used make a version these and last week my mother admitted that she has been dying for some.
Of course I had to oblige.
I have never tasted them. I don't think I have ever even read a recipe, so it was kind of a surprise that they were spiced in addition to the dried fruit.
My only memory of them was having to sing the nursery rhyme over and over again and play it on the recorder in music class in grade school. It made me hate the things. Hearing my slightly wacky music teacher drone it over and over again just got to me.
A quick search of King Arthur Flour's website yielded this recipe.
Of course I altered it a bit by adding dried blueberries and cherries instead of dried fruit and I used apple juice instead of rum because the smell of rum will make me sick.
The dough is nice and dense, so don't expect big puffy light rolls. Even if you have PTSD from having to play the nursery rhyme on the recorder, and can't eat them, your house will smell amazing.
Also, you just can't argue with how insanely gorgeous these things are.
By the way, I tasted them.
They are actually pretty good.
Who knew?