Ingredients

300g milk chocolate

350g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

225g butter

350g soft light brown sugar

175g rolled oats

70g chopped mixed nuts

1 egg, beaten

400g canned condensed milk

70g crunchy peanut butter

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Finely chop the chocolate. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl.  Add the butter to the flour mixture and rub in using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Stir in the sugar, rolled oats and nuts.

Put a quarter of the mixture into a bowl and stir in the chopped chocolate.  Set aside.

Stir the egg into the remaining mixture, then press into the base of a 30×20-cm baking tin.  Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the condensed milk and peanut butter together.  Pour the mixture over the base and spread evenly, then sprinkle the reserved chocolate mixture in top and press down lightly.

Return to the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes, until golden brown.  Leave to cool in the tin, then cut into squares.

This post marks the first of a new series I intend to do for 2012.  I plan to cook or bake something new every week for the whole year!  Christmas cake seemed very appropriate at this time of year, so I gave it a go.  Overall, I found this recipe very easy to follow, although next time I need to remember to turn the cake over before it is iced, as the top of it was quite bumpy, as you can probably see from the photos!

Ingredients

• 325g (12oz) self-raising flour
• 125g (4oz) ground almonds
• 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
• 225g (8oz) butter, softened slightly
• 225g (8oz) caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 8 tablespoon milk
• 225g (8oz) currants
• 225g (8oz) sultanas
• 225g (8oz) raisins
• 125g (4oz) glazed cherries
• 125g (4oz) mixed peel

Method

1. Heat oven to 150C (300F).
2. Grease and line a 9 inch round tin. It is easier to remove the baked cake from a loose-bottomed tin.
3. Sieve the flour, spice and ground almonds together into a large mixing bowl.
4. Cream the butter and sugar together in a separate bowl with a hand-held electric whisk or in a mixer.
5. Beat the eggs lightly with the milk in a jug or bowl.
6. A little at a time, stir the flour mixture alternately with the egg mixture into the creamed butter and sugar.
7. Finally, add all the dried fruit. Stir it carefully and thoroughly until everything is well combined.
8. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
9. Attach a deep strip of tin foil or brown paper around the tin to stand a couple of inches above the top. This will protect the top of the cake from burning while the inside is cooking.
10. Bake in the oven for about 4 hours.
11. Check the cake after about 3 hours. If necessary cover the top for the remainder of the cooking time.
12. To check if the cake is cooked through, gently insert a thin metal skewer into the centre and it should come out clean.
13. When the cake is ready, remove the foil or paper and allow the cake to rest in the tin for a short while.
14. Carefully run a flat knife around the inside of the tin to loosen the cake. Gently push the loose-bottom of the tin up to remove the cake.
15. Place on to a wire rack to cool, removing the bottom of the tin and greaseproof paper, and leave to cool completely.
16. When cold, wrap the cake in greaseproof paper and tin foil until required for decorating.

Decorating the Christmas Cake

• Roll out home-made or bought almond paste (marzipan).
• Brush the cake with apricot jam and press the marzipan to the outside and top of the cake.
• Add icing of choice to the cake, covering the marzipan completely.
• Allow to set, then tie a red ribbon around the cake and decorate with holly or similar Christmas decoration.
• If using Royal Icing, this can be pulled into rough peaks with a flat knife, once it is spread on the cake, to give a snowy effect.