Eggnog & Fruit Cake Means Christmas (The Yuletide Kitchen Card Collection)

As a child growing up in suburban North Carolina, Christmas meant a lot of things, gifts, family gatherings, the excitement of school break, but mostly it meant fruitcake and eggnog.

When my parents brought home those familiar cartons of eggnog and the rectangular brick of Claxton fruitcake wrapped in shiny cellophane, I knew the season had officially arrived. And I loved it. I’m not sure why fruitcake gets such a bad reputation. Admittedly, fruitcake gone wrong can be really, really bad. But the good ones? Soft, moist, dense, fruity, and full of that unmistakable Christmas flavor.

And then there was the eggnog. Some people like to add alcohol, but that wasn’t part of my childhood. In our house, eggnog was treated almost like a luxury. My dad would always warn, “This is very rich. If you drink too much, it’ll hurt your stomach.” So it became this rare holiday treat I could never quite get enough of.

As an adult, I make eggnog French toast, keep the fridge stocked all season, and drink far more of it than my dad would approve of. I even found eggnog scented candles this year, and I can’t wait to light them. That warm, sweet smell brings back everything I loved about Christmas growing up.

For me, Christmas simply isn’t Christmas without fruitcake and eggnog. I will admit, that I'm the only one in my immediate family who eats it now, but I can always go to my mother's home to enjoy a slice with family. Because my mother, my brother and sister (my dad loved it too but he passed away two years ago.) all love it too.

And that’s why this collection exists. The Yuletide Kitchen Card Collection is my little love letter to those flavors and memories, the ones that still anchor the season for me after all these years.

Here's me making eggnog French toast for my kids.

Here's me baking an eggnog pie last Christmas.

If you feel the way I do, you just might fall in love with our Yuletide Kitchen Card Collection featuring stylized images of fruit cake and eggnog.

Esme

Do you know the history of fruitcake? Don't just eat it, learn about it!