Ingredients

4 oz margarine

4 oz sugar (brown or white)

12 oz mixed fruit (8 oz will be enough)

8 fl oz water

1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 level teaspoon mixed spice

2 beaten eggs

4 oz plain flour

4 oz self raising flour

Pinch salt

How to Make it

1. Set the oven to 350F, 180 C, 170C (fan oven), Gas Mark 4
2. Put margarine, sugar, mixed fruit, water, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice into a large pan. Bring to the boil, stirring as the ingredients melt to blend gently together.
3. Once boiling, simmer for one minute.
4. Allow to cool while you prepare the tin:
5. Line a 7″ square or 8″ round tin.
6. When mixture has cooled a little, add the eggs, flour and salt and mix well. If you add the eggs while the mixture is really hot you’ll have scrambled eggs! Pour the mixture into the tin.
7. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1 – 1 1/4 hours. Test with a skewer to see if it comes out clean.

Tags: bicarbonate of soda, egg, margarine, mixed fruit, mixed spice, plain flour, salt, self raising flour, sugar
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Ingredients

1/2 cup margarine

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch salt

1 small carton blueberries (about 150g)

2 cups plain flour

1/2 cup milk

For Topping

 Mix together

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg        

How to make  

1. Heat oven to 375F/185C
2. Set 12 – 18 muffin cases in muffin tins
3. In food mixer, beat margarine until creamy.
4. Add sugar and beat until pale and fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each one.
6. Beat in vanilla, baking powde and salt.
7. Using a spoon, fold in half of the flour, then half of the milk.
8. Repeat, using the rest of the flour and milk.
9. Fold in blueberries.
10. Divide mixture between muffin cases, and sprinkle topping on each muffin.
11. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes until golden brown and springy to touch.

Tags: baking powder, blueberries, eggs, granulated sugar, margarine, milk, nutmeg, plain flour, vanilla
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Ingredients

1 lb (450g) currants

6 oz (175g) sultanas

6 oz (175g) raisins

2 oz (50g) glace cherries , chopped

2 oz (50g)  mixed peel, chopped

brandy or sherry

8 oz (225g) plain flour

1/2 level teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground mixed spice

8 oz (225g) unsalted butter

8 oz (225g) soft brown sugar

4 large eggs or 5 small

2 oz (50g) chopped almonds or walnuts

1 level dessertspoon black treacle

grated rind of 1 lemon

grated rind of 1 orange

4 oz (110g)  whole blanched almonds to decorate if not icing.

The dried fruit, peel and cherries can be substituted with mixed luxury dried fruit to simplify. Just make sure the weight totals the same.

How to Make it

             You will need an 8″ round or 7″ or 8″ square tin, lined.

             Start the night before.

 Weigh out the dried fruit into large bowl. Mix in about 3 tablespoons brandy or sherry and stir       thoroughly. Cover and leave overnight, adding more sherry and stirring thoroughly as needed.

Next day

1. Preheat oven to 275F / 140C
2. Sift flour, salt and spices into large bowl.
3. Beat sugar and butter together until light, white and fluffy.
4. Whisk eggs separately and add a tablespoonful at a time to butter mixture.
5. Fold in flour and spices.
6. Fold in everything else.
7. Put mixture in cake tin and spread the surface flat.
8. Decorate with blanched almonds.
9. Cover top of cake with doubled greaseproof paper, with hole the size of 50p piece cut out of centre.
10. Bake on lowest shelf of oven for 4 1/2 – 4 3/4 hours, at least 4 hrs. Check with skewer.
11. Allow cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before trying to remove from tin.

Tags: almonds, butter, Christmas cake, currants, eggs, glace cherries, lemon, mixwd spice, nutmeg, orange. almonds, plain flour, raisins, soft brown sugar, sultanas, treacle
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Ingredients

1 3/4 cups Plain flour

1 talespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cold butter

3/4 cup grated cheese

1/2 – 1 cup plain yogurt (enough to make dough sticky)

How to Make Them

Preheat oven at 425F / 220C / 210C fan oven.

1.  Mix flour, baking pwder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
2.  Rub in butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Stir in cheese.
4. Add yogurt all at once to make a soft, slightly sticky dough.
5. Bake for 12 – 15 mins. Always preheat the oven!

Tags: butter, cheese, plain flour, scones, yogurt
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Ingredients

2 cups Plain flour

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup dessicated coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts (if you like)

1 8oz can crushed pineapple (i/2 small can)

1 cup raisins

3 eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk (add a tablespoon of lemon juice to ordinary milk and leave to stand for 5 mins).

3/4 cup vegetable or sunflower oil

1 1/4 cups caster sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

pinch salt

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

How to make it

1. Preheat oven to 350F / 175C / 165C Fan oven
2. Sift together flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar and vanilla essence. Mix well.
4. Add the flour moxture to the egg mixture.
5. In another bowl combine carrots, coconut, walnuts, pineapple and raisins. Mix wel.
6. Add the carrot mixture to the flour mixture. Mix well.
7. Pour into 8″ x 12″ pan and bake for 1 hour, till skewer comes out clean.
8. Leave for at least 20 mins to set before cutting.

Tags: buttermilk, carots, carrot cake, caster sugar, cinnamon, coconut, eggs, pineapple, plain flour, raisins, vegetable oil, walnuts
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