Christmas Gum Drop Bread

1 C shortening
1 C butter
1 C brown sugar
1 C white sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 C applesauce
2 tsp baking soda
4 C flour
1 C chopped dates
1 C chopped nuts
1 1/2 C gumdrops DO NOT USE THE BLACK ONES.
1 C raisins
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla

Cream shortening and sugars thoroughly. Add whole eggs and beat thoroughly. Add applesauce and soda. Add flour, sifted with spices, saving about 1/4 cup of flour to add to the cut-up gumdrops, dates, raisins, and nuts. Use the large gumdrops and cut them in small pieces. (Do not use the black ones, they will color the batter.) Stir the cut-up gumdrops, dates, raisins, and nuts into the reserved flour mixture, then add to batter and stir until well combined. Adding them to the reseeded flour mixture helps prevent them to sinking to the bottom of the pan. Bake 1 hour at 300 degrees (275 degrees in glass baking pans