This was somebody’s family secret recipe. Luckily for us (unluckily for them), the person died, so it’s OK to pass it around.

2-1/3 C sugar
1 lb butter, softened
6 eggs
2-oz bottle lemon extract
4 C flour
1/2 t salt
1-1/2 t baking powder
1 C nuts, not chopped
8 oz jar whole candied cherries — red, or red and green
8-oz jar whole candied pineapple chunks

Beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer until well-blended. Add eggs, beating well after each one. Stir in the entire bottle of lemon extract. Add flour, salt, and baking powder; mix well. Toss the candied cherries with a couple of tablespoons of flour, then fold them in along with the nuts.

Grease 3 1-lb loaf pans and line them with waxed paper. Pour in the batter and bake for 1 hour at 325 F. Cool, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap.