Monks add fudge to fruitcake offerings

CONYERS, Ga., Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Monks at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit near Conyers, Ga., have turned to fudge in addition to fruitcake to bolster the 43 brothers whose median age is 75.

Fruitcake had been a staple of the Georgia monastery's fundraising efforts until last year, when just half of the 13,000 fruitcakes sold.

Since fruitcakes keep so long, the monastery decided to keep the rest for this year -- until a spring fire wiped out the stock.

After some deliberation, the monastery decided to bake 3,000 fruitcakes this year while the Rev. Anthony Delisi led operations to cook up fudge with a decidedly Georgia flavor of peach brandy, peaches and pecans.

"We try not to overwhelm you with peach brandy," the monk told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Just a taste of it."

The monastery has reached out to the general public, approached upscale retailers and given Monk's Fudge a prime spot on its catalog in efforts to sell up to 10,000 boxes of the confection this season.