Christmas Cake Recipe

1lb Currants
6-8 eggs
8oz raisans
12oz plain flour
6oz mixed peel
Pinch of salt
4oz glace cherries
Grated rind of 1 lemon
4oz shelled almonds
Lemon juice
10oz margarine
A little milk
10oz caster sugar

Preparation:
Wash fruit thoroughly by putting it in a strainer or in a sieve and running water through. Spread it on muslin or a folded cloth placed on a tin and allow it to drey slowly and completely before use. A quicker alternative method is to rub the dry fruit on a wire sieve or in a cloth dredged with flour. This is very satisfactory for removing small stems and stalks. Remove any surplus sugar from peel, and shred or chop finely. Slice or chop cherries, using a light dusting of flour. Shell the nuts. Blanch almonds by pouring boiling water over them, in a few minutes the brown skin can be slipped off, and the nuts may be halved or chopped.

Making:
Clean fruit and chop the peel and cherries. Blanch and chop the almonds. Have all other ingredients ready. Warm the margarine slightly, if hard, but do not over-heat. Cream with sugar until soft and light. Break the eggs seperately into a basin, beat lightly and add one by one to the creamed mixture. Beat each egg in very thoroughly before adding the next. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Sieve dry ingredients into a bowl and add fruit and lemon rind. Fold gradually into creamed mixture. Continue to mix in the dry ingredients lightly, adding a squeeze of lemon juice and a little milk. Put the mixture, which should be a stiff dropping consistency, into a lined 9" cake tin. Bake in a moderate oven (350?F) for about 2 hours, then reduce the temperature to about 300?F and continue to cook for 4½-5 hours in all. When the cake is sufficiently brown, cover it with a double sheet of greaseproof paper. Leave for a few weeks. Cover with marzipan. Leave for 3-4 days. Decorate.