For anyone who likes fruitcake, you’ll swoon over homemade fruitcake. Since I have found a little down time this fall, thank you recession, I can dabble a bit with some recipe testing and get my holiday baking done.

Halloween is my alarm to start the fruitcake process. I’ve mixed my dates, currants, raisins (lexia & golden), cherries, almonds, citron peel and brandy. Next, I cook up canned pineapple with sugar, jam and the maraschino liquid. Tomorrow I’ll prepare the pans, make up the batter and get baking!