Catastrophe Averted

A could-have-been catastrophe was averted by a couple of quick thinking tried-it-all cooks. My older sister had collected all the ingredients to make what was to be the best fruitcake ever, and if you do any baking at all, you know how expensive it can get to fix anything like a fruitcake or an Italian Cream Cake or the like.It was a day or two before the big event for which the cake was planned, so Mary proceeded to follow the directions to the letter. She combined the fruit and nuts and other necessary ingredients and let it set for the two hours recommended, eagerly awaiting, but very impatiently, of course, to get the cake all baked and iced with that delicious brown sugar frosting that she remembered Mom making when we were kids. She had done exactly what the recipe had said, or so she thought, but when she turned the cake pan up- side-down, over the beautiful cake plate which she had previously selected, so her cake would look it's best, the wonderful expensive fruitcake fell all to pieces.Frantically, she called Mom. "Mom, you've got to help me. What am I going to do?" The cake ingredients were so expensive, and she had her heart set on that wonderful fruitcake for all the family that had come home for Christmas.Mom says,"Just calm down. Form it into little balls, and cover them with chocolate. They'll be fine." And of course, Mom was right. Several of us pitched in and proceeded to form the fruitcake into little balls while others melted the chocolate bits with a tad of crisco in the microwave and drizzled it over the entire collection of cake balls. Mary sprinkled the tops with some red and green candies. Wallah! They were a smashing hit with all the family.No one the wiser that it wasn't the original plan from the start.(Maybe next time, we'll try a different flavor coating. There are so many options.)