---

Ingredients

• 3x250g soft cream cheese
• 200g caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 200g soured cream
• 4 medium eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

Preheat the oven to 240C/220 fan/Gas 9.

Grease a 20cm, springform cake tin and lay two large sheets of baking parchment at right angles in it and push thepaper into the the corners, making sure plenty of paper is above the rim. If you have a non-stick liner use that and add one sheet of parchment paper.

Place cheese and sugar into the mixer bowl and beat for 1-2 minutes until smooth, add the flour, soured cream, eggs, vanilla and a pinch of salt and mix again until smooth consistency.

Pour into the lined tin, give a sharp tap to remove any air bubbles, bake for 30 mins until browned on top. Leave to cool completely in the tin, chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

---

Ingredients

• 250g strong white flour
• 30g caster sugar
• 1 tspn mixed spice
• .5 tspn ground cinnamon
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
• 5g salt
• 1 tspn dried yeast
• 20g butter melted
• 130ml warm milk
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• 130g sultanas and finely chopped candied peel or other dried fruit. 100g sultanas plus 30g other fruit is a good ratio.

Method

Make the warm the milk using the 2/3 cold to 1/3 hot add a table spoon of the sugar and the yeast and leave for 15 minutes to activate, then beat in the egg.

Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix, add the butter and yeast-milk-egg and mix then knead for 10 minutes. If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook just add it all in the bowl and let it run for 10 minutes. Then add the dried fruit and knead until combined. Place the dough in a warm place to rise for about 1.5-2 hours.

Divide into 6 equal pieces, shape into balls and place on a baking sheet and flatten slightly, leave for 1-1.5 hours to rise.

Pre-heat oven to 220C/200 Fan/Gas 7. Mix 30g plain flour with 30-40 ml water and pipe or dribble a cross over the buns. Bake for 15 minutes until golden. Glaze the buns with a little thinned down golden syrup or honey.

---

Ingredients

• 500g whole Seville oranges
• 1 lemon
• 1 grapefruit
• 2 litres water
• 2kg jam (high pectin) sugar

Method

Boil the whole fruit in the water, until very soft, about 2 hrs.

Pour the liquid into a preserving pan or a very large saucepan. Cut the fruit into wedges, separate out the pips and squeeze the wedges into the pan, then thinly slice them and also add to the pan. Put the pips in a square of muslin, tie tightly and add to the pan.

Boil, uncovered, for 10 mins. Add the jam sugar and disolve then boil, uncovered, for 20 minutes stirring occasionally, until a little of the mixture dropped onto a chilled plate sets and wrinkles.

Leave to settle for 15 mins before potting into sterilised jars.

---

Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup water	2 cups dried fruit	1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar	1 tsp salt	8oz nuts
4 large eggs	1 tsp baking soda	juice of 1 lemon
1 bottle whisky

Method

Sampe the whisky to check for quality. Take a large bowl. Check the whisky again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer, beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one tsp sugar and beat again. Make sure the whisky is still okay. Cry another tup. Turn off the mixerer. Break two eggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the dried fruit. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers, pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the whisky to check for tonsicticity. Next sift two cups of salt. Or something. Who care? Check the whisky. Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Spoon. Of sugar or something. Whatever you can find. Grease the oven. Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees. Don't forget to beat the turner. Throw the bowl out the window, check the whisky again and go to bed.