Peta’s Easy Amazing Incredible Jaffa Fruit Cake and Mince Pies

For Christmas each year and quite often through the year I make this fruit cake.
This is my own recipe. Please read all the instructions before starting too cook this cake.
This is a moist dense fruit cake that is incredibly more-ish. It is great with custard. It is really better if made with the fruit I have indicated rather than pre-packaged mixed fruit.

Ingredients
1 orange and 1 lemon
100 mls brandy or cointreau
Water
100 grams dried apple
100 grams dried peaches
300 grams sultanas
100 grams currants
200 grams dates chopped
100 grams raisins chopped
100 grams dried figs or glace fruit (cherries if you like them) chopped
1 cup walnuts or pecans chopped
½ cup brown sugar (Optional – but better with than without)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
100 grams dark cooking chocolate broken into chunks.
3 cups (450 g) plain flour
2 eggs beaten

Method
Grease and line a lamington tin 12” x 9” or a 12” square tin with baking paper.

Puree the orange and lemon in a food process until finely chopped.

Strain the juice into a measuring jug. Keep the pulp - don't throw it away.
Add the brandy to the juice and then make up to 600 mls with water or more juice.

Place the pulp and juice into a large pot. Add the chopped dried fruit and spices. Gently bring to a simmer and stir regularly for 15 mins.

Remove from heat. Add the nuts, chocolate and sugar and stir into hot fruit until melted.

Cover and cool. When cool or nearly cool add the flour and eggs and stir well. Place into tin and bake in a 160 °C oven for 1 to 1 ½ hours until cooked You may need to place a piece of foil loosely over the tin after 45 – 60 minutes to prevent top drying out.

Substitutions
Substitute 1 kg mixed fruit for the individual fruits . I personally never use it.

You can decorate the top with glace fruits and almonds if you want to before you cook the cake.

If the top gets to dry warm ¼ cup of apricot jam and add 2 tablespoons of brandy. Mix well and then brush this across the top of the hot cake. Cover and cool.

My favorite mince pies are mince pies with a twist. Here is the recipe.
Marvelous Mince Pies.
Pastry
3 cups plain flour
1/2 cup cornflour
2 teaspoon baking powder
300 grams butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice (Optional)
Rub the butter into the combined flours. Add sugar and baking powder. Mix in beaten eggs and lemon juice. You might have to add a bit of water to get it together. chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Roll out and line greased and floured patty cake tins.
Filling
1 cup sultanas
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup chopped dried apple
1/2 cup currants
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup orange juice.
Grated rind of 1 orange
Mix all these filling ingredients and refrigerate overnight. Stir regularly.
The next day stir in
300 mls sour cream full fat not the skim kind. If you must use the skim then add an extra egg.
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar.
Mix well and spoon into the pastry cases and bake for 30-40 minutes.
This makes a lot about 5 dozen.
Alternatively just mix 2 1/2 cups of fruit mince with the 300 mls sour cream, a splash of brandy, 2 eggs and 1 cup brown sugar.