LEMON ALMOND CHRISTMAS CAKE

 "Christmas Gift Suggestions: To your enemy: forgiveness.To an opponent: tolerance.To a friend: your heart(my personal favourite). To a customer: service. To all: charity. To every child: a good example. To yourself: respect." -Oren Arnold (1900-1980. Journalist) 

 LEMON ALMOND CHRISTMAS CAKE
This is an adaptation of two recipes.  The result is a rather golden cake. Buttery and lovely.

 COMBINE in large BOWL:  3 cups golden raisins, 2 cups dried fruit or glazed fruit ( your choice), 1/3 cups orange peel,1 cup chopped apricots 1 cup dried cherries, 2 cups slivered  almonds, 1 1 12 cups pecans, 1/2 cup chopped candied ginger, 1 cup dried cranberries,

 Pour over top and mix in 2 cups grand Marnier Brandy. with 1/2 cup lemon juice.

 Let sit for a couple of days to meld.

GET PANS READY: I used those cute little foil pans you can find in the baking aisle. I spray them with Pam. Line with parchment  ( not too fussy mind you...just slide a piece into the pan and let the edges hang out). Then spray again. This recipe makes about 10 . Give or take.  Have a few extra on hand just in case.
PREHEAT OVEN to 275 degrees.

 ON BAKING DAY PREPARE BATTER: Beat 1 pound butter with 2 cups white sugar.
THEN: Beat in two or three at a time, 12 large eggs.

 ADD a couple tablespoons lemon extract, quite  bit of grated lemon peel, 1 tsp almond extract, 1 tsp vanilla extract.

 BEAT in 3 cups flour, pinch of salt, and 1 tsp baking powder.

 "Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!" -Hamilton Wright Mabie (1846-1916 American Essayist)

 NOW COMES THE HANDS ON PART, so to speak: Pile the fruit  stewing in the booze ( it's okay, it will bake out and leave a wonderful taste. If you use orange juice to soak NOT the same. Trust me.  BUT when you bake with it, it makes the flavours punch up) INTO the batter bowl.

TAKE YOUR HANDS ( those wonderful , glorious hands that God gave you) and MIX away. Only way to do it, as it is very heavy and dense. And it's FUN to use your hands. 

CLEAN HANDS FIRST! 

 TAKE YOUR CUTE LITTLE BABY PANS: Plop in batter to around or near the top and smooth top.

LINE UP  on Cookie sheets to bake.

 PLACE IN OVEN: I have a convection oven so can do them all at once. Bake for about 50 minutes.

 THEY WILL NEED MORE TIME. So be sure to check off and on. Add  ten minutes or so or five minutes to get them to bake to doneness.

 USE a sharp steak knife to TEST. It should come out clean. You can use a toothpick but I don't have any toothpicks or skewers. STEAK KNIFE  works great.

 Let cool on cooling racks. When cooled ,I take out the baking paper, put back in the pan, wrap in small freezer bags , add an ingredient list inside the plastic bag on top of the cake, so people can see what is in the cake. Then freeze them till needed for gift bags. I never add more booze to the cake  after baking. It makes it taste bitter.  And a lot of people do not want that taste. Well,maybe some do, but I think it's yukky.

 "Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most." - Ruth Carter Stapleton (1929-1983 Sister of Jimmy Carter)