Fool Proof Baking


Fruit Loaf
Originally uploaded by wjharrison77.

A lazy post tonight. But a happy one. My baking panic is over.

The Highland Games take place tomorrow night and, despite yesterday’s disasters, I have managed to make some cakes! Hooray!

A massive thanks to Holler from Tinned Tomatoes and Johanna from Green Gourmet Giraffe for providing me with the following idiot proof cake recipes. They both turned out perfectly.  🙂

Here are their recipes:

Holler’s Mum’s Fruit Loaf

Here, is my mum’s fruit loaf, it has never failed me yet. You may even enjoy it yourself, as it is more spicy than sweet and lovely and moist! You could served it sliced or as a whole loaf.
Pop all these ingredients into a large pot.
1/4 block of butter
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup sultanas
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
Bring to the boil and set aside to cool.
Once cool, add 1 cup plain flour, 1 cup of self raising and 1 medium egg.
Mix together and pour into a loaf tin.
Bake in a preheated oven at 150C in the centre of the oven for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. Insert a skewer or something else that is long and pointy (no rude comments please). If it comes out clean, it is ready.
It is lovely warm, spread with butter (I think that is a Scottish thing to do!)

Johanna’s Grubs

My favourite [no bake] is what I called grubs as a child.
A tin of condensed milk – about 400g
2-3 tbsp cocoa
2/3 – 1 pkt rich tea biscuits bashed to crumbs
1/2 cup coconut
Mix it all together, roll into small balls and roll them in coconut.
Tastes great and is so easy – except when a cat lies on a plate of them (oh, yes it happened once).

Thank you again!

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23 thoughts on “Fool Proof Baking

  1. Glad you are all organised! It looks like you made a good job of that fruit loaf. Doesn’t the kitchen smell divine, while it is cooking? I shall tell my mum it was sucessfull and let her see the page. I made an emergency phone call to her last night, because I couldn’t lay my hands on my copy of the recipe ( I have decorated a room since I saw it last, so I will have to have another search!). Have fun at the Games! And thanks for the link!

  2. glad the grubs worked – I love them and kids love them too – now I want to make myself a batch – and your cake looks great. am sure people will appreciate your homemade sweet treats and am sure you will have other opportunities to wheel out these foolproof recipes so you can bake for others, if not for yourself 🙂

    enjoy the games!

  3. Hi Wendy! Thanks for coming by my blog. I can understand that baking can be really nerve wrecking at times, especially when you’ve bought really expensive ingredients and the outcome is less than desirable. I have had many bad experiences myself with recipes from N.L which turned out too rich and too sweet. (the ‘gagables’, I call them, HA!HA!)Good thing nothing can suffocate my passion fof baking!

  4. Sooo glad things worked out for ya! “Pats on the backs” for your blogging friends who came through with wonderful recipes! How did the games and food go? (Mostly the food!)

  5. Pingback: The Games! « Teaching and Learning and a Wee Bit of Cooking

  6. I have always known your ‘grubs’ as ‘bumble bees’! My Mum always used to make these when we were young and fill up the oak biscuit barrel which sat on the radio in the living room. I now make these as a treat for my son (now 23). I use a combination of wine and malt biscuits crushed.
    I wonder whatever happened to that biscuit barrel. Great memories.

  7. Pingback: Omenakakku - Finnish Apple Cake « A Wee Bit of Cooking

  8. Hi! I just had a couple questions about the loaf which looks FANTASTIC by the way… your copy says 1/4 block but the copy at Holler’s site says 1/2 block… and how much does 1/4 block weigh? We get two sizes around me… 250g and 454g, so I don’t want to use 2x or 1/2 what’s needed!

    Thanks v. much, take care!!

    Sarah

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