COOKBOOKS GALORE

I love Simnel cake at Easter and always made one for my husband and me, but the rest of my family either don't like marzipan or dried fruit, so I thought I'd try making small cakes with almost the same ingredients, then I could freeze some for me and give a few to friends. I didn't put the marzipan layer in the middle of the little cakes, but put a layer on top, and to make it more springlike, I cut it out with a flower shaped cutter. The final decoration was a sugar flower  - I'd bought a packet a while ago and they needed using! Preheat oven 180C/gas4                  You need a greased 12 hole silicone or metal muffin tin. 125g butter, 125g soft brown sugar, 2 eggs, 125g sr flour, 1 tspn mixed spice, 1 tspn cinnamon, 1-2 tbspn milk, 125g dried fruit and zests of 1 orange and 1 lemon [I didn't have any good mixed peel, hadn't got any home made, and I hate the cheap stuff, so decided to use zest instead], 100g marzipan, 2 tbspn apr...

The Welsh name means speckled or mottled bread.  My Gran used to used make it regularly, and we loved it spread with butter. There are many versions of this recipe, some use yeast and others use baking powder. This is my Gran's recipe which I've tweaked a bit, and it's very easy to make. 450g/1lb dried mixed fruit 250g/9oz brown sugar 300ml/½ pint warm black tea [I used a Breakfast tea] 2 tsp mixed spice 450g/1lb self-raising flour 1 egg beaten.  In a large bowl soak the fruit and sugar in strained tea and leave overnight. Next day preheat the oven to 170C/Gas 3. Line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment. Mix the remaining ingredients into the fruit mixture and beat well. The mixture will be soft and runny. Pour into the loaf tin and bake for 1½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Serve sliced and buttered.

Another one of my favourite recipes for teabreads. It's full of juicy fruit that's been soaked in tea and it's spicy too. 375g mixed dried fruit 125g soft brown sugar 150ml hot tea of choice 1 large egg 1 tbspn milk 50g chopped walnuts 225g sr flour 1 tbspn mixed spice Preheat oven 150C/gas3 Grease and line a 900g/2lb loaf tin. Put the fruit, sugar and tea in a large bowl and leave to infuse together for about 4 hours or overnight. Beat the egg and milk together and add to the bowl with the walnuts. Sift the flour and spice together and fold into the fruit mixture. Put into the tin and bake for about 50mins to an hour. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Can be eaten on its own or with butter.