Fruit cake, not just for Christmas.

So, the general rule is that when you have a baby your mum comes to visit.  However you may remember we live in a teeny tiny itsy bitsy studio apartment. There is barely room for a Moses basket let alone a Nanna. So you can imagine my sheer panic when I get the phone call to say "I've booked the flights, I'm coming to see my new little grand child."

Luckily I am very blessed and have wonderful friends, some of whom are giving up their whole apartments or front rooms for set periods so Nanna can come visit. I can't thank you enough.

So, my Mum is coming from the other side of the planet. It will be nice to have her visit. Mum loves fruit cake so this is an excellent excuse to make my favourite Christmas cake. It's rich and moist and really you don't need an excuse to make it, but it helps!


CHRISTMAS CAKE

1kg Dried fruit     You could use raisins and sultanas with .... yawn....
                           Be adventurous try  apples, pears, apricots, cranberries, prunes
                           All chopped to the size of raisins.

1 portion of alcohol      There are no hard and fast rules
                                    If you don't like alcohol use your favourite juice.
                                    I used sherry, rum, port, red wine, angostura bitters, sloe gin, brandy

Combine the fruit and the alcohol and soak for about a week. You want the fruit to be nice and plump soaking up all the alcohol. So check on it every now and then, give it a good stir, add more liquid if you think it needs it.

One week later.....

1/2 tsp Cinnamon                   * Combine everything together
1/2 tsp Nutmeg                      * Pop in fully lined and greased tin
1/2 tsp Ground cloves            * Bake 140*C for 3 hours
250g SR Flour                       * Cover with baking paper continue to bake for 1 hour
250g Brown sugar                  * Skewer will come out clean when done
250g Butter
4 Eggs

                   * Don't forget to feed the cake every few days with a spoonful of brandy.
                      This will make the cake even more moist and irresistible.

                  * I Used 2 x 20cm round tins this time, usually I use 1 big tin.
                     I think I am going to continue using two tins.
                     The cake seems to last a little longer this way, but not much longer!

Mars Bar Slice Make-over - pretending to be a domestic goddess

So with Easter fast approaching and time limited due to feeding, burping, bathing, not to mention looking after a baby,  I needed a quick and easy Easter treat that also looked smart enough to drop in to work, as a little thank you for looking after me during the previous nine months of nausea. Of course having everyone think I am amazing, 'Where does she find the time?' ...Oh it was just a little something I whipped-up...OK back to reality.

So I rehashed the old  mars bar slice, giving it a little makeover. Having made all three slices in less than an hour...including washing up, I was suitably impressed.

Dark and white chocolate marbled

Crushed hazelnuts

Mini Easter eggs, smashed with a hammer

These were of course delivered to mine and handsome mans work places before the arrival of the Bunny. Pity it took me a little longer to get it to the web page!


So next I'm going to use the base of this for millionaires slice.....mmmm, I think it would work well with cherry ripe slice too.