Five tried and tested Christmas recipes

Mrs Bates's classic Christmas cake

'This is my recipe for Christmas cake. I love it and make it every year. I've only got the quantities in 'old money' as it's years old, written on a scrap of paper.

'When it comes to the dried fruit, I usually use raisins currants and a few figs. You could use dried cranberries for a Christmas feel and glace cherries, whatever you like. I don't happen to like either! The apple keeps the cake light and moist.'

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb dried fruit
• 8oz Grated Bramley apple
• 4oz mixed candied peel
• 4oz Flaked almonds (ground don't seem to do the same job)
• 10 1/2 oz Plain flour
• 2tsp mixed spice
• zest and juice of a lemon
• 8oz butter
• 1tsp vanilla extract (the cheap essence doesn't do the same job)
• 1tbsp black treacle
• 4 medium eggs
• 1/2 bicarbonate of soda
• 1tbsp milk
• Brandy or Rum (or whatever you fancy)

Instructions

1. Soak the fruits in booze for at least 12 hours.
2. Cream together butter and sugar add the eggs slowly and then the vanilla and treacle. Stir in the fruits and almonds and then the flour.
3. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the milk stir into the mix. Line an 8in round (7in square) cake tin with brown paper and then greaseproof.
4. Bake at 140 degrees (gas mark 1) for three hours (check by putting a knife into the centre, it will come out clean when it's cooked). If it needs longer give it another 20-30mins and then check again.
5. Have fun, it's really easy!