Holiday Fruitcake

This is my favorite fruitcake..one that I have baked every Christmas for many years. My friend Joyce passed this recipe on to me after I raved about how good it was after I tasted it at her house.
Every year when the Christmas season approached I remember how my Mom would ask if I was baking this fruitcake again and could she have some..wish I could still be baking for her!

Slices of this fruitcake are a pretty addition to any tray of goodies..not only does it look good..it is filled with fruits, nuts, coconut..all good things:)

1/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp almond extract

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 cups raisins..I used 1 1/2 cups raisins and 1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 1/2 cups coconut

1/2 cup mixed glace fruit..it comes in small chopped pieces

1 cup glace cherries..I used 1/2 cup green cherries and 1/2 cup glace pineapple..sometimes I use half green and the other half red..your choice of what you like

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup chopped walnuts..I used 3/4 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup sliced filberts, again use whatever nuts you like

200g pkg of baking gums..they look like small gumdrops and are in the baking aisle at the grocery store.

1. Mix fruits, coconut, nuts and gumdrops in a large bowl and set aside.

2. In another bowl cream butter and sugar

3. Add eggs, vanilla and almond extract and mix till smooth

4. Combine flour and baking powder and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk and mix until well blended.

5. Pour over the mixture of fruits, nuts, coconut and gumdrops and stir until well combined

6. Divide between 4 small loaf pans (approx 7 x 3 1/2 x 2") double lined with waxed paper.

7. Bake in 3ooº oven for 1 1/2 hrs

8. Take out of the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

I leave the waxed paper on the cakes and freeze them in ziploc freezer bags.

Happy Thanksgiving to our fellow Americans!