Mother's Fruit Cake from My Brother

• 1 lb butter
• 1 lb sugar (2 cups)
• 1 lb egg (usually 12)
• 1 lb flour, sifted (approximately 4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 lb apricot
• water
• brandy (lots of it)
• 1 lb white raisins
• 1 lb mixed citron fruit, diced (you know that Christmas stuff)
• 12 lb cherries (that Christmas kind)
• 2 lbs raisins
• 2 lbs nuts, chopped
• mace

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Put apricots in a pan and cover with water and brandy.
3. Simmer to expand.
4. Soak raisins, diced fruit and nuts in brandy.
5. Whip the apricots into a paste.
6. Cream butter and sugar.
7. Add 1 egg at a time until it disappears.
8. It gets slippery.
9. Then mix a little longer before adding the next egg.
10. Add apricots and blend well.
11. Add flour, a little at a time.
12. You want a stiff dough.
13. Drain raisins, diced fruit and nuts.
14. Add to dough and mix well.
15. Line loaf pans with greased brown paper (grocery bags cut up and greased).
16. This is important, even if you use silicone as they will be stored in the brown paper.
17. Fill with batter.
18. Put a pan of water in the bottom of the oven.
19. Put in top of oven and bake for 60-90 minutes.
20. The tops will split and it will become pretty dark around the edges.
21. When cool, line a large container or tin with cotton or linen towels.
22. Place the loafs (with brown paper still on them) into that container.
23. Drench each with brandy.
24. Weekly for at least 3 months, open and sprinkle on more brandy.
25. Give as gifts or just enjoy.
26. Slice thin as this is very rich!

butter, sugar, egg, flour, salt, apricot, water, brandy, white raisins, mixed citron fruit, cherries, raisins, nuts, mace

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/mothers-fruit-cake-from-my-brother-451704 (may not work)