Hot cake

A sudden "cold snap" in Brisbane today.  The sun is hiding above the cloud layer and the temperature is refusing to budge more than about 17 degrees.  AND BEFORE I hear any whining from you southerners I would like to point out that I am not acclimatised to weather much colder than this, and that Queensland houses aren't built to deal with cold weather either, the warm air from the heater dissipates out the walls and windows faster than you can actually add it to your rooms, thank you very much.

This considered it was lucky that I started last night to prepare the following recipe for Irish fruit loaf, perfect timing for a warm slice of fruit cake and a hot cup of tea this morning.  Its one of my grandmother's recipies, a strange combination of ingredients, lots of sugar and flour, but no butter....you put that on top, when its hot out of the oven, you know.

Irish Fruit Loaf

375g mixed fruit

250g brown sugar

add 1 cup of warm tea  to the above ingredients and soak overnight (or the best part of a day)

The next day add:

2 tablespoons of marmelade

1 egg

500g self-raising flour

Mix well and divide between two loaf tins (greased or lined with baking paper, however you like to do it).

Bake in moderate oven 50-60 mins.