Christmas Fruitcake

Yield: 32 servings. Drain cherries, reserving 3 Tbsp juice. Cut cherries in half, set aside. Drain prunes, reserving 6 Tbsp syrup, pit prunes, and set aside. Cream sugar, shortening, and eggs at medium speed for 2 minutes or until smooth. Stir in cherries, reserved cherry juice, prunes, reserved prune syrup, walnuts, and next three ingredients. Combine flour and next four ingredients, add to creamed mixture, and stir well. Spoon batter into a 10-inch tube pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350F for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack, remove from pan and let cool completely. Store tightly wrapped in heavy-duty plastic wrap. Yield: 32 servings (serving size: 1 3/4-inch slice). Note: One (8-ounce) package bite-sized prunes can be substituted for the ready-to-serve prunes. To stew prunes, combine prunes and 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving 6 Tbsp cooking liquid to use in place of the 6 Tbsp drained syrup. For small loaves: Spoon 1/2 cup batter into each of 20 (4 x 2 1/2-inch) mini loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Or: Spoon 1 1/4 cups batter into each of 8 (5 1/2 x 3-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350F for 50 minutes.