Quick Fruit Cakes

Bien Fait Fruitcakes, VT Photographic Print
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The recipe calls for oil instead of butter or margarine so it is relatively low in cholesterol making it somewhat healthier than other fruit cakes.

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose (plain) flour
1 level tsp baking powder
1/4 level tsp salt
1/2 + 1/8 cup fine grained (castor) sugar
3/4 cup oil (I use sunflower oil, use anything except olive oil)
2 eggs
3 to 4 tbs milk
2 cups dried fruit (eg white raisins, brown raisins, chopped apricots)
1 cup candied (glace) cherries
2 tbs chopped candied peel

Method
1. Preheat oven to 325 deg F or 170 deg C. Grease a 7 inch cake pan (tin) and then line with greaseproof paper.

2. Strain (sift) flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl. Add the oil, eggs and 3 tbs of milk. Beat well for about 2 minutes, just to well beaten if you are doing it in an electric mixer so not as long.

3. Now add the dried fruit, cherries and peel. Mix well.

4. The mixture should now be of 'dropping consistency' - you should be able to pick up a spoonful of the mixture and it should fall from the spoon within 5 seconds, without you shaking it. If it takes longer, add a little more milk and mix well.

5. Put the mixture into the prepared pan and level off the top. Bake for about an hour. Turn the heat down to 350 deg F or 150 deg C and cook for a further 75 to 90 minutes. To test the cake, insert a hot sharp knife or skewer, it should come out with no cake mixture on it.

6. When the cake is cooked, allow it to stand in its pan to cool. If you are using a Spongeform pan, you could release the catch on the side but still leave it inside.

Sandies, Walnut Biscuits and Hazelnut Biscuits Photographic Print
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Ingredients
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose (plain) flour
1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
2 lightly beaten eggs
1 (28 oz) jar prepared mincemeat pie filling
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups candied mixed fruit

Method
1. Preheat oven to 300 deg F (150 deg C). Grease TWO 9ins x 4ins loaf pans and line with wax paper then grease the paper (or use oil spray).
2. Sift the flour and baking soda together.
3. Mix together eggs, mincemeat, condensed milk, fruit, and nuts.
4. Fold in the flour and soda until well mixed. Pour into prepared cake pans.
5. Cook for about 2 hours, or until centres of the cakes spring back when lightly pressed and they are golden brown. Cool in the pans for about 15 minutes then turn cakes out onto wire rack and carefully remove wax paper.

Vanilla Ice Cream with Candied Fruit Photographic Print
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Ingredients
1 (16 oz) packet graham crackers (or digestive biscuits), crushed
6 oz red candied cherries, coarsely chopped
6 oz green candied cherries, coarsely chopped
6 oz candied pineapple, coarsely chopped
2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Method
1. Line one 9ins x 5ins loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving enough overhanging to fold over the top.
2. Put all the ingredients into one large bowl and mix well. You could use a wooden spoon or, better still, use your hands - have some hot water standing by ready to wash your hands when you've finished. Put the mixture into the prepared pan and the top completely.
3. Freeze for at least 8 hours or, better still, overnight. Turn out the cake onto a serving plate and remove wrapping. Store cake in the freezer.