An Interview With Celia Aniskovich Director The Documentary Fruitcake Fraud
This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity:
Texas Standard: What attracted you to telling the story of this small-town Texas scandal?
Celia Aniskovich: I didnt grow up with Collin Street Fruitcake, like so many people. Im from the Northeast, although I know that they ship far and wide. And I came across this story like anyone else, in a news article and thought, this cant possibly be true. And of course it is. And so I very quickly called up the bakery and got myself dug in and found out more than I could have ever imagined it was possible, and the story took me in directions that I would have never expected.
I would imagine you would have to come down to Corsicana. What were your impressions of the town and the folks that you found there?
We spent the month of July filming in Corsicana. Very interesting to make a Christmas film in the 110 degrees Texas July heat, but we pulled it off. And my impressions were that it was like so many small towns in America. It was like the small town that I grew up in. People care about each other. You know your neighbors. And I think what struck me was that it was about so much more than the $17 million. And actually, for the people of Corsicana, what hurt them most was not the money, but the sense of betrayal that one of their own, someone they considered a friend, a family member could do this to them.
A Match Made In Heaven
In 1896, a man by the name of Augustus Gus Weidmann traveled from Wiesbaden, Germany to Corsicana, Texas with the dream of opening a bakery. Ladened with recipes from his motherland, it was Gus sole ambition to bake and share his authentic homemade breads and cakes. Shortly after settling in town, he purchased a storefront off the towns main thoroughfare, Collin Street, and Collin Street Bakery was born.
The business, however, was not an immediate success. While Gus was a natural baker, he was far from a natural businessman. Shy and introverted, Gus lacked the specific salesmanship sparkle required to keep his bakery afloat. Luckily for Gus, in 1900, he was introduced to local entrepreneur, Thomas McElwee. The two took a shine to one another and a partnership was formed. Thomas agreed to man the bakerys front-of-house operations, thus allowing Gus to stay where he preferredin the kitchen. In retrospect, had it not been for this partnership, its very possible that Collin Street Bakery would not exist today.
With the newly minted duo in place, Collin Streets business began to blossom. In the early 1900s, the bakery was best known for its freshly-baked bread delivered directly to homes and businesses with the assistance of horse-drawn carriages. Over time, however, the demand for our bread began to outpace our delivery efforts and horse-drawn carriages were replaced by the far more efficient Model-T trucks.
What Happened To Sandy Jenkins
Sandy Jenkins was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade to serve a total of 120 months in federal prison. His wife, Kay Jenkins also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Ms. Jenkins was sentenced to five years of probation.
In March 2019, Sandy Jenkins passed away in a federal prison.
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How The Money Was Stolen From Collin Street Bakery
You might think that stealing $16 million would require an elaborate scheme. But did it?
Heres an example of his method: Jenkins would print a check to his personal credit card company, but he would void the check in the accounting system. Then, he would generate a second check for the same amount to a legitimate vendor, but the second check was never mailed. Next, Jenkins would send the first check to his credit card company.
The result: Jenkins credit card was paid, but the general ledger reflected a payment to an appropriate vendor.
Corsicana’s Famous Fruitcake Featured In New York Times Readers Digest
Courtesy photos
Collin Street Bakery recently teamed up with Angels of Corsicana Troop Support and First Baptist Church to send 500 fruitcakes to United States troops stationed overseas during the Christmas holiday.
Courtesy photos
Collin Street Bakery recently teamed up with Angels of Corsicana Troop Support and First Baptist Church to send 500 fruitcakes to United States troops stationed overseas during the Christmas holiday.
Corsicanas famous Collin Street Bakery Deluxe fruitcake has been a Christmas tradition for generations. Its been featured on Netflix, the Food Network, the Travel Channel, History Channel, The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, The Washington Post, and even made a cameo in the 1972 film The Godfather.
The family-owned and operated bakery has been making world-famous baked goods in Corsicana since 1896 and has reached international acclaim by shipping them all over the world.
Most recently, however, a New York Times columnist shared his personal story of the Corsicana confection and it was reprinted in Readers Digest.
Collin Street Bakery partner Hayden Crawford saw the article and reached out to the author.
The column is titled: My Dad sent me a fruitcake every year for Christmas. The last one didnt arrive until a year after he passed.
He wanted me to have a particular brand of fruitcake. Made in Texas, it was famous among fruitcake loversor, at least, among people who gave fruitcakes to those who were assumed to love them.
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Once Upon A Time In The Lone Star State
Well, howdy there! Welcome to Collin Street Bakery, home of the world-famous DeLuxe® Fruitcake. Now, for those of you who dont know about our historic bakery, were kind of a big deal in the fruitcake world. Whys that?because we were the first-ever, mail-order fruitcake company in the U.S.! Thats a pretty fancy feather in our cap.
But, we werent always the world-renowned fruitcake magnate known and loved today. Oh, no! We have humble beginnings that started over 125 years ago. Our story began when a young immigrant entrepreneur traveled to the Lone Star State with a dream and a whisk.
Ingredients For Old Fashioned Fruit Cake
The one thing that always amazes me about this old-fashioned fruitcake recipe is that there is almost nothing holding all of that sweet, sticky fruit together. Make sure you DO NOT buy fruitcake mix – you want to get each type of fruit called for individually.
- Candied Pineapple chunks are called for but sometimes I haven’t been able to find it and used the rings instead. Just cut them in chunks. Red and green are the most festive if you can find them.
- Candied cherries are usually pretty easy to find. If you can use part red ones and part green ones it’s prettier.
- Pitted dates are what makes this cake sweet and sticky. I prefer to get the diced dates but you can get pitted whole dates and dice them yourself.
- Pecans don’t need to be toasted but I think they add more flavor.
- Sugar is just granulated sugar.
- All-purpose flour is what creates the batter that holds this together.
- Baking powder is one ingredient that I add because mom always did – but honestly I have no idea what it does here.
- Salt helps to balance the sweetness of all the candied fruit.
- Vanilla adds a rich dimension.
- Large eggs work with the flour to create the batter.
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If You’ve Seen Netflix’s Hit Series Cheer Then You’ve Heard About This Little Slice
Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life.
Before Navarro College’s cheer team took the world by storm, Collin Street Bakery was making a name for itself in the quaint town of Corsicana, Texas. Only 50 miles south of Dallas, you can pass through the small town in the blink of an eye, but the sweet, heavenly aroma of homemade fruitcake urges you to stop the car and stay awhile.
When we say that their fruitcake is legendary, we mean it. Collin Street Bakery’s deluxe fruitcake recipe has remained unchanged since the bakery first opened its doors in 1896. And like any family-owned business, the Corsicana community is its most loyal customer basethey’ve been coming to this little slice of heaven bakery for countless years.
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If you’re lucky enough to live near this charming bakery, drop in for a piece of fruitcake. And if you’re far away and craving a piece of the South, order a deluxe fruitcake or pecan cake online.
Why Two Southern Towns Are Battling Over The Title Fruitcake Capital Of The World
Oh, fruitcake, that brick-like cake of dried fruit and nuts, topped with more fruits and dried nuts, has been a holiday staple for more than a century. Love it or hate it, youll probably be gifted one or find fruitcake at some kind of holiday gathering this year.
And while all of us have seen our fair share of fruitcakes over holidays past, we didnt know that most of those cakes likely came from just two small Southern towns: Claxton, Georgia and Corsicana, Texas. The fruitcakes from both towns old top spots on Amazon and both have highly loyal followings. Indeed, if you happen to Google, Fruitcake Capital of the World, you may find yourself reading Wikipedia pages about either town. So which should hold the title? Read on, and well let you decide for yourself.
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More Holiday Recipes From Restless Chipotle
One of the things I absolutely love about the holiday season is all of the holiday baking! Here are some of my favorites –
And if you are thinking of parties you’ll definitely want to take a look at these –
- Gingerbread House Party is so much fun for the kids! I’ve been doing it since the early 1980s. You make easy houses out of graham crackers and let them decorate with all kinds of candy. SO much fun.
- 50 Best Red Velvet Recipes because what’s Christmas without red velvet? Seriously!!
New Documentary Delves Into Fruitcake Fraud At Famed Corsicana Bakery
There’s a new documentary about a famous scandal at a beloved Texas fruitcake company: Called Fruitcake Fraud, it covers the notorious case of husband-and-wife Sandy and Kay Jenkins, who embezzled more than $17 million from Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, and it debuts this week on the Discovery+ channel.
It begins streaming Wednesday, December 1 on discovery+. You can see the trailer here, featuring interviews with principals including Bob McNutt, the president of the bakery, who amenably eats a piece on camera as if to prove it can be done.
Collin Street Bakery is known the world over for its fruitcakes, with 10,000 to 20,000 orders per day during holiday season. But as a release notes, that fruitcake empire began crumbling in 2013 when an embezzlement fraud was discovered, right under the noses of the bakery employees.
The money was stolen by Sandy, who worked as an accountant at the company for a decade. According to government records, he and Kay blew it on trips on private jets, shopping sprees, and purchases of 38 vehicles, including a Lexus, Mercedes Benz, Bentley, and Porsche.
They almost single-handedly kept the NorthPark location of Neiman Marcus in business, spending $1.2 million, and earning themselves the nicknames “Fruitcake” and “Cupcake.”
When the management at Collin Street Bakery began to notice a deficit, they hired a new accountant who uncovered Jenkins’ multimillion-dollar scheme.
From the release:
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The Fix That Will Detect The Theft
Someone other than those who create checks should reconcile the bank statements to the general ledger. As they do, they should compare the cleared check payees to the vendor name in the accounting system. Some businesses have hundreds clearing monthly. Therefore, they may not desire to examine every cleared check.
Alternatively, the business could periodically sample the cleared checks, comparing the cleared checks to the vendor payments in the general ledger. The persons creating checks should know that this test work will be performed. Doing so creates the camera effect. When people know their actions will be examined, they act differentlythey are much less likely to steal.
If you desire a preventive control, require a second-person review of canceled checks.
Additionally, someone should be reviewing the profit margins of the company, comparing the ratios with prior periods.
Lastly, when segregation of duties is not possible, have the bank statements mailed to someone outside the accounting department such as an owner. That person should review the cleared checks before providing them to the accounting department. Alternatively, provide online access to the reviewing person. The reviewer should examine the cleared checks and provide documentation of his or her examination to the accounting department.
Texas Blonde Pecan Cake
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Our Texas Blonde Pecan Cakes are made using our specialty honey-sweetened batter, filled with crunchy pecans, lush pineapples, ripe cherries, and golden raisins. Decorated with a crushed sprinkling of pecan bits and baked till golden brown, this cake is as beautiful as it is delicious.
Servings per Package: 20 | 1 lbs 14 oz
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Hundreds Head To The ‘capital Of Fruitcake’ In Corsicana As Part Of Their Holiday Tradition
CORSICANA, Texas As Christmas quickly approaches, hundreds of Texans are flocking to a small town to pick up a special desert as part of their holiday tradition.
About 50 miles south of Dallas, there’s a small town called Corsicana.
“It is definitely the taste, the moisture, the quality of it and you know,” one customer, Mary Baker, said. “It’s the freshness of it.”
There’s a popular place where people tend to stop for a special treat.
“Fruit cake,” a customer in town from Louisiana, Sharon Beltz, said.
“Fruit cake, fruit cake,” couple Don and Mickey Licapovich from Tyler, Texas said.
Thousands of Texans call this city the capital of fruit cake.
“If you want a fruit cake, this is the place to come, they always have them,” Licapovich said.
Collin Street Bakery is what they’re referring to. They sell tons of cake, desserts, and other foods, but most people buy their fruit cakes.
They’re sold in their stores, but also through online sales on their website and on Amazon.
“Each year we will have about a million visitors that come through this tiny shop on 7th Avenue,” Collin Street Bakery spokesperson Hayden Crawford said.
He said right before Christmas is the busiest time of the year.
“It’s basically a holiday tradition for my family to have at least three of them in the pantry,” Walter Truitt, of Houston, said.
They call this time of year fruit cake season, it typically starts in late September or early October.
“They’re soooooo delicious, they really are,” Baker said.
Why Is Fruit Cake A Christmas Tradition
Fruitcake dates to ancient times when the Romans ate a satura cake, a mixture of barley mash, raisins, nuts, pomegranate, and wine.
Over time it evolved into fruitcake – with the candied fruit added to help preserve the finished cake during a season when fruit was not normally available.
It was popular in Victorian England, where it was called a “Christmas Cake” and the tradition was brought to the United States.
Fruitcakes were used as wedding cakes during Victorian times, as a matter of fact, partly because they could be made well ahead of time.
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Family Of Garland Teen Killed In Convenience Store Marks Anniversary With No Arrest Of Accused Shooter
A 2015 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s office details the crime:
“According to documents filed in the case and evidence proffered at the sentencing hearing, beginning at least as early as December 2004, and continuing until his termination from the Bakery, Sandy Jenkins engaged in a massive scheme to defraud the Bakery. During that time, he embezzled more than $16 million from the Bakery, and he and his wife, Kay Jenkins, used that money to bank-roll a lavish lifestyle. The government introduced evidence at sentencing identifying the 223 trips on private jets as well as the locations , with a total cost that exceeded $3.3 million.
Sandy Jenkins was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and died behind bars in 2019. His wife Kay was sentenced to five years’ probation, ordereded to complete 100 hours of community service and to write an apology to the bakery.
“We don’t like being reminded of that awful time, that lasted a decade but we love getting the chance of telling it from our point of view,” Crawford said. “A lot of people, they like to think it would never happen to them, that they would not have been caught off guard like we were. And, I contend it will always happen that way. It’s the trust that allows them to come in and embezzle.”
Eight years after the crime came to light, Collin Street Bakery is still going strong. The business that ran its accounting department on trust, believing there was no need for safeguards has made changes.
Collin Street Bakery Fruitcake Stuffing
By Christie Vanover | Published June 10, 2012 | Last Updated November 17, 2018
Oh my ~ I just discovered that fruitcake makes the best stuffing. Its 97 degrees outside, the middle of June, and for some reason, I was in the mood for homemade stuffing .
I traveled to Waco Saturday determined to create a Plate of Waco. I toured the Dr Pepper Museum, visited Collin Street Bakery and hit a few other hotspots.
The original bakery is in Corsicana, Texas, but there is also one on I-35 near Waco. I pass it all the time, and the large white building always intrigues me with its flashy sign that tantalizes me with the Worlds Best Chicken Salad and the Best Cookies on the Planet!
Their chicken salad is very good served on a light and airy pecan bread.
What truly makes them famous though is their fruitcake. I am not a fan of fruitcake. My husbands grandfather used to send us CSB fruitcake every Christmas. We had no idea that it was so famous. We immaturely turned our noses up at the heavy can and gifted it to friends year after year.
What a mistake. I later saw a Food Network video and learned why this cake is so special. Its packed with the best fruits and nuts and then barely coated with a batter before being baked. After years of giving this cake away, I discovered that it was pretty darn good.
Or better yet, order a tin from Collin Street Bakery, and surprise your guests by serving it alongside your next barbecue.
Ingredients
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