My Mother is quite a serious cook and will cream your mom at any dish. Seriously, ANY dish – she doesn’t fuck around. One of her specialties is Christmas fruit cake. The whole extended family, from Paris to Parys used to put in orders every year and the production line would kick into action. All I remember around this time of year is a crazy mouth-watering smell in the air, with our kitchen resembling a mild fruit fuckshow – with bags of cherries and nuts all over the show.

Nowadays, due to the time and effort put into Mum’s Christmas fruit cakes, combined with the sheer extravagance of it all, only a select few family members qualify. You know, the ones that haven’t stabbed us in the back, stolen our money, or put spells on us. There are one or two, believe it or not.

I asked her if I could publish the recipe for the 2oceansvibe community and she, surprisingly, gave it the go-ahead.

And so, my sweet smelling friends, here it is..

Killer

Mother dearest’s Chrstmas Fruit Cake recipe

750 gms Mixed Fruit
250 gms Cherries
125 gms Dates
125 gms Walnuts
250 gms Butter
1.5 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Water
1.5 tsp Bi-Carb
1/4 tsp Salt

Boil together fruit, dates ,butter, sugar and bi-carb for 15 minutes
Cool then add 2 tots Brandy, 3 well beaten eggs, cherries and walnuts.

Add 3 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder and 2 tsp mixed spice.
Bake at 150 degrees C for 1 hour then reduce to 120 degrees C for a further 2 hours.

(tsp = teaspoon )

‘I am sure for many years the smell of Christmas cakes baking in our kitchen meant Christmas had to be around the corner.
Love you Mummy
xxx”