| 1 | Makes 8 - 8 inch loaves. |
| 2 | Prepare fruits and nuts as desired. |
| 3 | Beat eggs in mixer. |
| 4 | Begin creaming the butter. |
| 5 | While butter is creaming, add just enough flour to the fruits and nuts to give each a thin coating so it won"t stick to its neighbor. |
| 6 | When the butter is properly creamed, add eggs, sugar, molasses and soda, spices, remaining flour, vanilla and brandy. |
| 7 | Let mixer go to work on that. |
| 8 | Scoop a depression in the top of the fruit-nut pile and pour the batter over it. |
| 9 | Then mix and knead almost like you would knead bread. |
| 10 | Pack into 8 (8") well-buttered foil loaf pans which have been lined with foil or brown paper and buttered. |
| 11 | Place in a 225 degree oven with a shallow pan of water below them. |
| 12 | If the oven temperature is right, they should be done in 3 to 4 hours. |
| 13 | After 1-?hours watch them carefully, and if the edges begin to crisp before the to cracks in numerous breaks, turn the heat down and put in a fresh pan of cool water. |
| 14 | When little cracks come across the tops of the cakes they are done. |
| 15 | When cool, remove them from the pans. |
| 16 | When cold dab whiskey or brandy liberally over the outside. |
| 17 | Wrap each separately in wax paper, then in aluminum foil. |
| 18 | Cover with newspaper and set away to age in a cool place. |
| 19 | This aging takes about a month; the alcohol will have evaporated by then and have left only the bouquet and flavor. |
