Brack

Of course, many of the recipes scattered through my collection came from my mother, whose cooking is quite marvellous still at 86. She has a cupboard with shelves of homemade jam and marmalade and her pickled onions are fought over as the jar is never big enough. Some of us remember her hot doughnuts with jam sauce as a legendary treat. She still makes the best pastry and will have a plate of chocolate eclairs in the fridge for tea when you arrive. She has given me an eclair tin recently so I will have to learn how to do them.

Brack is a very simple cake which originates in Ireland, where we spent all our holidays as children,with our grandparents, and despite not having any fat in it, it is rich, delicious buttered and it lasts well. Mum gave me the recipe years ago and though I do make other fruit loaves, this is unbeatable, not least for its associations too. It is so easy even hard up students can make it - hint, hint.

Brack

1/2 - 1lb mixed dried fruit (1lb is best)
1/2 cup brown sugar (use any teacup or half a large mug)
1 cup hot tea
2 cups SR four
1 egg

1. Pour the hot tea (no milk) over the fruit and sugar and leave overnight or all day.
2. Beat in the egg and flour and then put it all into a greased loaf tin.

Bake No 3/4 for 1 1/2 hours - 2, checking near the end.
Glaze while still hot with a mixture of hot milk and golden syrup - optional.
Slice and serve buttered.