opal light & easy boiled fruit cake
500g mixed fruit
¾ cup soft brown sugar
1 tsp mixed spice
½ cup water
125g butter or marg
½ cup sherry
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbls marmalade
1 cup SR flour
1 cup plain flour
½ tsp bicarb soda

TOPPING (optional)
1/3 cup toasted muesli
Chopped walnuts & cherries to decorate

Preheat oven to 150C.

1.    Place mixed fruit, sugar, spice, water and butter in large saucepan & bring to boil. Simmer gently for 3 min, then remove & allow to cool.
2.    Add the sherry, eggs & marmalade. Fold in the sifted flours & soda, mixing well.
3.    Place mixture in greased, lined 20 cm round cake tin.
4.    Bake in a slow oven for 1 – 1 ¼ hrs or till cooked when tested (cover loosely with sheet of foil or brown paper if top of cake is over browning during cooking).
5.    If putting a topping on top, sprinkle over the muesli fruit combo to decorate before baking.

(with coffee – Bridges August week 2011)