* CHRISTMAS TIME *

CHRISTMAS  CAKES *muffin sized*

Prepare the fruit which you have chosen....this is mine:

3oz chopped dates

2oz sultanas

12 chopped glace cherries

Grated rind of half an Orange 

1/4 pint of Captain Morgan's Rum (best ever)

Soak all the fruit and best to leave over night

and cover with cling-film pushed down onto fruit so no air can get in

put another layer of cling-film over top of pyrex jug or bowl

Stir three times within this time scale & stir with metal spoon so each tiny chunk of fruit soaks the flavour of the Rum

By morning the fruit should have soaked almost all of Rum

Split Almonds & Cherries to decorate 

  cut cherries in half and sort out the almonds into correct sizes.

Cake Mixture

6oz  soft butter or marg

4oz Dark soft sugar

2oz Caster sugar

2 Eggs

6oz Plain flour

2oz Self-raising

1/4 teaspoon bicarb of soda
1 teaspn mixed spices, we like extra cinnamon 

Method

Make sure the marg and sugars are mixed light & fluffy

Add one egg at a time and whisk briskly between each one

Add half of the sieved flours by folding with a metal spoon

Add the fruit and mix in carefully  Adding remaining flour

The mixture at this point may be a little runny, if so, add more sifted plain flour until

the mixture just slightly drops from spoon.

Oven should have been put on Gas 3 / 170c / 325F  whilst decorating with cherries and almonds

Put two paper muffin cases into each patty tin

And fill each with cake mixture

Turn Oven down to Gas 2  just before putting in

Put into Oven & cook for about 20 mins Check 5 mins before as everyone's oven works different !

Test to see if ready by placing clean finger gently in middle-if springs back-they are Ready !

Cool, then take out of patty tin to place on wire rack And when almost cold take 2nd paper case off- this is so the cakes didn't burn !

***  Enjoy  ***

***

When cool put them into a Tin to store or *eat straight away - *we did !


MERRY  CHRISTMAS  TO  EVERYONE !