Christmas is Coming 7 - The Great Blogland Cookie Event

Thank you Jz for inspiring me to add to the festivities - and of course, for hosting this delicious event!

So I hadn't planned on joining in the Great Blogland Cookie Event, but looking at all the yummy stuff on everyone's blog has made me mad with participation fever. So here it is. Not a cookie - but a super easy fruitcake recipe I use EVERY YEAR around Christmas time.

Step 1 -

Boil all these ingredients and allow to cool to lukewarm :

1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Plain Water
1/4 Cup Butter (or 1/4 of a 250g block, or 2 oz)
2 to 3 Teaspoons Mixed Spices (cinnamon, cloves, ginger... you choose)
1/2 Teaspoon salt
2 Cups Raisins


Step 2 -

To the cooled mixture, add the following ingredients:

2 Large Eggs (lightly beaten)
1.5 cups all purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Mixed Peel (or dried candied fruit)

Mix well and bake in a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf tin (greased) at 180°C for 50-60 mins.
(Reduce to 160°C if using a dark tin)


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NOTE:

Personally I like nuts in my fruit cake too, so I use only 1 cup of raisins, and to the second lot of (mostly-dry) ingredients I add 1/2 cup of chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans.. whatever you like).

Here are some pictures from last year's bake - my loaf tins were a different size so I made two batches and split them into 3 loaf tins!

Also, because my oven is a little wonky, and my loaves are smaller, I find that my cakes are usually done after about 40 mins or so. If the top looks like it might burn, cover with a sheet of aluminium foil once the surface has dried out and continue to bake until a cake tester / skewer comes out clean from the middle of the loaf.

ENJOY!

(EDIT: As I mentioned in one of the comments, the original recipe calls for a total of 3 cups of bits and bobs, but mine only has 2.5 cups (of fruit and nut). It still makes for a rather busy cake, so if you want to reduce further, I think 2 cups would work too. 

ALSO: If you'd like some alcohol in yours, you could soak your raisins in rum or brandy overnight, then add them straight in with the second lot of ingredients, instead of boiling them with the butter and sugar. ALTERNATIVELY, or in addition to that, feel free to drizzle some liquor over your cake - or douse it, if you so desire - I prefer brandy, but I hear dark rum is good too so that's what I'm doing this year. )

It doesn't look like much, but it'll turn out fine, I promise.
(Ingredients from Step 1 after boiling.)

That's all of the ingredients from Step 2 - except the eggs. 
The flour is sitting at the bottom of the mixing bowl.

The finished cake cooling on a wire rack

Ta-da!