Continuing the sweets theme from yesterday, I was looking into local regional recipes of interest and happened on this masterpiece, a variation on the traditional fruit cake that might have been eaten at Sunday tea-time. The inelegant "Slab Cake" title seems fair enough!

Ingredients:-

4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon mixed spice

2 tablespoons treacle

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup mixed fruits

3 eggs beaten

a little milk

Method:-

(1) Mix all the dry ingredients together.

(2) Rub in the butter.

(3) Add the beaten eggs.

(4) Warm the milk in a saucepan and melt the treacle into it.

(5) Add this to the dry ingredients and egg mixture.

(6) Mix well.

(7) Bake in a slow oven for 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hours.