Rock Cakes

Ingredients
225g Plain Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
90g Butter (cut into chunks)
90g Granulated Sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
60g Sultanas
30g Chopped Mixed Peel
1 Egg (beaten)
2 Tablespoons Milk

Equipment
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Sieve
1 Baking Tray (greased)
1 Knife (blunt dinner knife will do)
1 Dessert Spoon
1 Wire Rack

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 200c 400f gas 6. Sieve the flour and baking powder into your bowl and add in the butter, rub between your fingers until all the butter is well mixed in and resembles fine breadcrumbs then stir in the mixed peel and sultanas.
2. Make a well in the centre and drop in the egg and milk and with the knife (unless you want to end up incredibly messy) combine all the ingredients until you have a stiff dough. Now using the spoon, spoon out individual dollops of the mixture on to your baking tray leaving room for them to spread a little.
3. Bake for 10-15 minutes until they look golden and have risen well, transfer them to your wire rack and sprinkle a little sugar on top of each and allow to cool. I love these whilst they are still warm and moist so get them eaten quickly!

Makes about 12

Christmas Cake

Ingredients
125g Self Raising Flour
200g Plain Flour
250g Butter
250g Brown Sugar
250g Currants
250g Raisins
250g Sultanas
75g Mixed Peel (chopped)
75g Glace Cherries
50g Ground Almonds
5 Eggs
1 Tablespoon Treacle
1 Teaspoon Mixed Spice
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
50ml Sherry
1 Lemon (zested)
4 Tablespoons Brandy

Equipment
1 Large Mixing Bowl
2 Wooden Spoons
1 9inch Round Baking Tin (or 8inch square tin) (greased)
Greaseproof Paper
1 Sieve
2 Mixing Bowl
1 Airtight Tin

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 140c 275f gas 1. Line the baking tin with a double thickness of grease proof paper and leave a good 5 cm sticking out above the rim of the tin.
2. Start by sieving the flours into the large mixing bowl, add the salt and spices and give a little stir, in an other bowl cream the butter and sugar together until you have a light mixture then add the treacle and mix well, in the other mixing bowl, drop in the eggs, vanilla and sherry and beat gently together.
3. Now what you need to do is, beat half the egg mixture into the creamed mixture then fold in 1/3rd of the flour, then add 1/2 the egg mixture again and fold, then add 1/2 the remaining flour and fold, finally add the last bit of egg, fold, and then the flour and fold again.
4. Now add in all the other ingredients (except the brandy) and fold in well then pour the mixture into your cake tin and flatten out the top. Now chuck this in the oven for 4-4 1/2 hours)
5. If the cake begins to brown too much you can cover it with a double layer of greaseproof paper, check to see if it is done by sticking it in the centre with a skewer, if the skewer comes out clean it's done, if it comes out sticky then leave it in. Turn the cake out on to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely then finally prick the top all over and drizzle over 4 tablespoons of brandy, leave it to mature for 3 months in an airtight tin (adding brand 1-2 tablespoons every couple of weeks)