The only fruitcake worth making – no citron!  A three generations favorite.  Make it before Thanksgiving so it can “age”.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb white raisins
• 1 lb fruit cake mix
• 1/4 lb yellow pineapple
• 1/4 lb red pineapple
• 1/4 lb  green cherries
• 1  lb red cherries (reserve 20 for decoration)
• 1/2 c bourbon
• 1 1/2 lb butter, softened
• 3 c sugar
• 15 eggs
• 2 lb pecans (reserve 60 whole halves for decoration)
• 1 1/2 lb cake flour
• 1 egg and a little milk for the glaze
• more bourbon for watering

Directions:

The night before:

1. Cut fruit into smaller pieces. (except cherries)
2. Mix fruit with raisins. (except 20 cherries saved for decoration.
3. Pour bourbon over the mixture and let stand covered overnight.

Mixing:

1. Preheat oven 300°.
2. Cream butter well.
3. Add sugar slowly.
4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing between each egg.
5. Transfer to very large bowl.
6. Stir in fruit and pecans with a spoon. (except decorations)
7. Sift in the flour while stirring with a spoon or hands.
8. Carefully line bread pans with heavy duty foil.  Small pans ( ?x?) make 1 lb, medium (?x?)1 1/2 lb.
9. Scoop the batter into pans within 1/2 in of the top.
10. Decorate with reserved fruit and pecans.
11. Brush with egg/milk glaze.
12. Place a large pan of hot water on the rack below the rack for the fruitcake. (You may have to refill it while baking)
13. Bake for approximately 1 hr 20 min for small, 1 hr 50 min for medium pan.  They are done when a toothpick comes out clean.  Do not remove fruitcake from pans at this time.
14. Brush with glaze twice during baking.
15. Watering: Sprinkle the cakes with a little bit of bourbon once or twice a week from Thanksgiving to Christmas.  Also keep the air saturated with bourbon.
    Method A:  Place pans in covered container with a shot glass of bourbon.
    Method B:  Place in a closed room with 3.6 liters of bourbon dumped on the floor.  Be careful not to drown the fruitcake.
16. Now you can take the fruit cake out of the pans.  Leave the foil on and place in ziplocks.
17. Enjoy, gift, freeze (it will keep for years in the freezer)

Serves:  Makes 3 medium and 6 small pans, or 4 medium and 5 small pans.  ( Large 8 1/2 x 4 12 (6 cups), Med 7 1/2 x 3 3/4 (4 cups), small 6 x 2 1/4 (3 cup))

Source:  Winifred Kleerup – contributed to the Kenilworth Union Church Cookbook,