This time of year, as the holiday cakes start to arrive, there's nothing like the arrival of the fruitcakes. Even though we now carry them year-round and realize they're not just a holiday cake, there's something special when the first shipment from Oregon arrives of the Trappist Abbey fruitcakes.

Perhaps the attachment to the fruitcake is also founded on our first trip to meet Father Richard and the Monks in Oregon a few years back.

The Trappist Abbey fruitcake is delightfully moist yet not overly sticky, easy to slice ultra-thin when chilled in the refrigerator or freezer. This holiday fruitcake goes perfectly with a cup of coffee in the morning, a cup of hot chocolate by the fire in the afternoon, and with your tea before bedtime.

Excusing the standard jokes, fruitcake will last the holiday season with ease. And though I don't eat large chunks, I do like my thin slice around this time of year.

The heartiest of cakes, fruitcakes have a long history going back to the Romans and even Moses, who reportedly ate fruitcake too. Often eaten as a sign of wealth, the tradition of preserving fruits not from your local area was a way of having the bounty of the summer in the winter without refrigeration.

Make your own with one of our delicious holiday fruitcake recipes, or try the award-winning Trappist Abbey fruitcakes.