Shonagh Koea's Christmas Cake

Method

Cream 250 gms butter with a cup of brown sugar, and when that's creamed, beat in 5 eggs of any size. Then use an old roasting dish that's not too big. Tip out one kilogram of any sort of mixed dried fruit (I use sultanas, cheapest & nicest) into the roasting dish. Sift over it 10 oz of flour - a good big cup of flour plus a coupl of tbs - tsp of bkg powder, tsp of nutmeg. Mix that up, flour coats over fruit and stops it sinking.

Fling that into the creamed mixture. Toss in a wine glass of brandy - I never have it , and what size? - I thrown in a wine glass of some rather inferior sherry, last week it was left over dessert wine, it was fine.

Toss it into the oven - okay, line the 8 inch tin first, that baker's paper is good - bake it for 2 hours at about 250 degrees F - is that about 180 degrees C? Whatever: a low, gentle oven. Put the cake in the middle of the oven.When it's cooked - I like to take it out when it maybe needs 10 mins more, to keep it damp, take it out, pour some more sherry or wine, maybe some almond essence. Put it in the refrigerator. That means it won't be crumbly. It's very moist.