• 2 lbs white raisin
• 1 lb raisin
• 1 lb candied cherries, chopped
• 1 lb candied pineapple,chopped
• 1/2 cup brandy

Mix together and leave, covered for 24 hours.

• 2 cups unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar

Whip together those 3 ingredients with Mixmaster at speed 8. Add 12 eggs, one at a time, at speed 10.

Sift together 4 cups of self-raising flour ( or 4 cups of regular flour plus 1 1/2 tbsp of baking powder), then add gradually to eggs, at speed 3 until well mixed.

Place a pan containing hot water at bottom of oven. Preheat oven at 200 F.

• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 lbs walnuts (before shelling)
• 2 lbs filberts (before shelling)

Add flour to fruit. Shell walnuts and filberts, then mix well to the whole, with your own hands. No other tool would do it well enough.

Butter 3 bread containers 9" x 5" x 3", line with wax paper, then butter the paper. Fill with mix.

Bake cakes for 4 hours at 200 F.
Raise temperature to 300 F and bake for 45 minutes longer.
Remove cakes from oven and pour over each one a half glass of brandy.
Let cool in pan for 1/2 hour, then unmould over grates until they reach room temperature.
Wrap each cake in brandy soaked cloth, then in aluminum foil.
Each couple of weeks moisten with more brandy.
Serve after 1 to 3 months.

ICING FOR CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE In Mixer bowl, place:

• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1/2 cup icing sugar

With Mixmaster at speed 5 add 1 egg yolk and whip until smooth.
Gradually add, at same speed:

• 1/4 butter at room temperature
• 1/4 cup brandy or rum
• 1 egg yolk

Spread over cake.

Cover additionally with:

PASTRYMAKER ICING

• 3/4 cup sifted icing sugar
• 2 tbsp hot milk
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Whip until smooth, then spread over cake and almond icing.