Sylvia Jordan's fruitcake

Original Recipe:

1 lb. butter (4 sticks)
1 lb. brown sugar (pref. dark brown)
1 lb. flour (2 1/2 cups)
vanilla and almond extracts
allspice and ground cloves
8 eggs
1 cup Ruby Port
1 cup Rum
1/2 lb. prunes
1/2 lb. candied citron or orange
1/2 lb. candied cherries
1/2 lb. raisins
1/2 lb. dried currants
1 Tbsp. Gravymaster coloring

Mince dried fruits, cover overnight with rum and Ruby Port.

Cream together butter and brown sugar.  Beat in egg, then add flour.  Add fruit with rum and port, extracts, and spices.  Add coloring and stir well.

Pour into (3) baking tins lined with buttered parchment paper.  Fill about 7/8, not quite full.  This recipe makes enough for about three aluminum loaf pans.  Bake 2 hours at 300 degrees.  

Make several weeks before Christmas and pour some more rum and/or port over every week or so.

Anita's version:

I do not use coloring, it is not necessary
You can use any kind of dried or candied fruit, in any combination.  Exact amounts are not important.
I used 1/2 Tbsp. of each extract.
Exact amounts of egg and butter are not critical, this is a very forgiving recipe.
Any mixture of spices is fine too.  Amounts are not too important either.
I have used part whole wheat flour and that is fine too.
I often clean out the refrigerator and cabinets and add in lots of leftover stuff like marmalades and chutneys and they mix in well.
I often add chopped nuts as well.  
The rum and port wine are key!