I made mine today. I went out yesterday and got the raisins, glazed red
and green cherries, pineapple, eggs, butter, flour..... I got up this
morning and set the two pounds of butter out to soften up and mid
morning I got started. Things seemed to work smoothly.

After I put the first batch into the oven and started preparing the
second batch I realized that I had forgotten to add the vanilla in the
first batch. Perhaps it will not be a big a problem. I always douse the
cakes with a lot of brandy. I am thinking that I can add some vanilla to
the brandy that I use on the first batch of four cakes. It will be
wrapped up and put into the freezer for a month and a half. The way I
see it is that if that 6 weeks is enough time for the brandy to permeate
the cake, then it should be able to infuse the entire cake(s) with the
vanilla.


At any rate, that is my first foray into Christmas baking. I need to get
some more butter and work on shortbread, which also needs time to
develop good taste and texture. One of these days I will pick up some
mincemeat and make a few dozen tarts.