IRISH TEA BRACK

6oz/110g Sultanas

6oz/ 110g Raisins

2oz / 55g cherries - quartered

7oz/ 200g soft brown sugar... Siucra of course!

8oz/ 225g Self-raising Flour

1/2 pint / 300ml cold tea...... BARRYS TEA IF YOU'RE FROM CORK!

1 egg, free range if possible, beaten.... not the chicken but the egg!

1 level teaspoon mixed spice

Soak sultanas, raisins, cherries in cold tea overnight.... Make a brew for yourself while you're waiting!

Next day preheat oven to 180C/350F or .... gas mark 4

Add remaining ingredients to the fruit and tea mixture and stir. Put into a 2lb loaf tin lined with greaseproof. Bakes for about 1 1/2 hours. Keeps well in an airtight container but not very long in my house! Serve with a cuppa cha and your feet up!

(If you want to go posh you can use Earl Grey to give a perfumed flavour to your brack , that, je ne sais pas! or play around with all the flavoured teas that are available you can beat a cup of Barrys!)

CHOCOLATE TRUTH!

Chocolate is natures way of making

up for Mondays! Thanks to a twitter

buddy (@chocolatetruth) for this

wonderful tweet!

What better way to start my week with

a scrumptious chocolate cake, rich and

sticky!

I came across this recipe by starting with

my endless library of chocolate books one

being Green & Blacks chocolate recipes.

This recipe is called the 'Inmates Chocolate Cake', named for

obvious reasons!! Maybe it was a chocolate cake to die for!!

This cake is brilliant for kids to make as it's very straight

forward and not complicated and you really don't need a mixer!

CAKE:

500g plain flour

500g caster sugar

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

150g cocoa powder

150ml buttermilk

150ml vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

7floz water

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F gas mark 4. Butter and flour the

baking tins. (2x20cm /8" cake tins with deep sides ) or play around

with one 8" deep square or 9" deep round tin

Sift all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients and whisk using a mixer or with a

strong arm! for about 3 minutes.

Bake for 35-40 mins (longer for single 8" deep sq or 9" rd sized tins)

Leave to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled. sandwich together

with apricot jam and pour over chocolate glaze! or fill with your

favourite filling served with a dollop of cream!