This Sticky Date cake is effectively a boiled fruit cake, but as it’s egg-free and uses a tin of condensed milk, I was intrigued. It’s a recipe from ‘The Hairy Bikers: Mums know best’ and was given to them by someone they met. When Mum looked at the recipe, she recognised it as one of Delia Smith’s, so if ever you needed evidence that recipes do the rounds, then here you have it.

I have to say, I’m not sure that ‘sticky’ is the perfect word. It is sticky, but more than that, it’s moist and flavourful. The condensed milk gives it a hint of caramel and richness. As I say so frequently that I bore even myself, it is easy to do. It’s fun to do too – not least because the unappetising gunk in the saucepan transforms into quite possibly the nicest fruitcake ever.

So into your saucepan, put the raisins, dates, sultanas and currants with the butter, water and tin of condensed milk. At this point you’ll be thinking all sorts of things that I shouldn’t really post here.

Slowly bring it to the boil, stirring frequently to avoid the edges catching. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 mins.

Transfer it all to a heatproof bowl and set aside for around 30 ins to cool. If you want to speed the cooling process, just sit the bowl in a sink of cold water.

You can see how much the texture changes once it’s cool. If you should happen to stick your finger in to taste the mixture, it might feel a bit grainy, but don’t worry about that.

Stir in a tablespoon of marmalade

then fold in the flour and bicarb

Spoon into the tin and smooth lightly. Cover with the doubled piece of parchment and bake for 2 – 2½ hours. I checked my cake at 2 hours and it needed the additional time.

Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then take it out of the tin and cool completely on a wire rack.

Slices nicely, doesn’t it? It can be a bit crumbly, but that’s hardly a problem when the crumbs taste as they do.

Who did that?!

mmmmhfdjikfjs *swallow* here’s the recipe.

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Sticky Date Cake

(recipe -modified by me- from Delia Smith, the Hairy Bikers, Tom Cobley and all)

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110g/4oz raisins
225g/8oz chopped dates
175g/6¼oz sultanas
110g/4oz dried currants
275g/10oz butter
275ml/10fl oz water
1 x 400g/14oz can condensed milk
300g/10 oz plain flour (or 150g plain and 150g wholemeal flour)

pinch salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 heaped tbsp chunky marmalade

Preheat the oven to 170C/340F/Gas 3. Grease and line a 20cm/8in square cake tin. Also prepare a doubled piece of baking parchment (to sit over the top of the cake whilst it cooks) and cut a hole the size of a 50p piece in the middle.

Place the raisins, dates, sultanas and currants into a saucepan together with the butter, water and condensed milk. Slowly bring the mixture to the boil, stirring frequently to prevent the mixture from burning. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl and set aside to cool for around 30 mins. If you haven’t got 30 mins, put the bowl in cold water and keep stirring to cool it more quickly.

Meanwhile, mix together the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda in a separate bowl.

When the fruit mixture has cooled, fold it into the flour along with the marmalade until smooth and well combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
Cover the tin with a double layer of baking parchment (cut a hole about the size of a 50p piece in the middle so that it doesn’t steam), then bake the cake in the oven for 2 – 2½ hours, or until the cake is springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. I checked mine at 2 hours and if definitely needed the extra time.

Allow the cake to cool for ten minutes in the tin before turning it out onto a cooling rack. Wrapped in baking parchment and foil, it keeps like a dream. We have a few slices left from 2 weeks ago and it is still perfect.

That’s all the description it needs really, although I should clarify something. This is actually a Delia Smith recipe that my Mum has made one change too, so in fact it is not so much my Mum’s recipe as Delia’s recipe, and as such I need to point out that My Mum is not Delia – her name is Pat.

Delia, if you stumble across this blog (hey! Stranger things have happened!) don’t worry – you’re not my Mum, but your Mincemeat recipe feels like it is my Mum’s because it’s the one she has used for a long time. K?

‘Tis easy! BTW, this makes 6lb so if you want less, just halve the quantities.

In a large bowl, yes a LARGE bowl, put this lot:

Great.

Now take it all out and weigh and chop it this time. Silly Billy.

So, put in the following things – I mix each ingredient in with my hands as I go, to be sure that it’s all really well distributed:

350g raisins, 225g sultanas, 225g currants, 350g soft dark brown sugar, 50g blanched almonds, cut into slivers:

125g whole mixed candied peel chopped very finely,

125g glace cherries- chopped, 450g Bramley apples, cored and finely diced (don’t bother to peel them),

zest and juice of 2 oranges and 2 lemons, 4 tsp mixed spice, ½ tsp cinnamon, a really good grating of nutmeg and 225g shredded suet.

Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave somewhere cool overnight (or for 12 hours).

When that time has elapsed, preheat the oven to GM ¼ (that was the ‘S’ setting on my oven) or 225F/120C. Cover the bowl loosely with foil and put into the oven for 3 hours. If you don’t want this amount, make a half quantity and put in the oven for 2 hours.

Take out of the oven and remove the foil. It will be drenched in fat, but Delia and Mum (my Mum, not… oh nevermind) assure me that this is correct.

As the mincemeat cools, stir from time to time. The idea of this is that each tiny ingredient gets a coating of fat – including the apple which has a reputation for fermenting and ruining your chances of storing the mincemeat. No such worries with this recipe. Stir when you walk past it and see the texture change as the fat permeates every part of the mincemeat.

When the mincemeat is cold, stir in 6 tbsp Brandy. Yummo. Inhale. Christmas.

Sterilise 6 x 1lb jars and allow them to cool. pack the mincemeat into the jars, cover the top with a wax disc and seal with one of those cellophane jam lid/circles.

Delia says it will keep in a cool, dark cupboard indefinitely, but is best eaten within the year. I’m keeping mine in ‘the larder that’s not a larder’ (as opposed to ‘The Larder’ which is the larder or ‘The Hellmouth’, aka under the stairs)

For stunning mince pies, use the shortbread pastry recipe.

You know, as you’re making this, it is quite shocking to see the amount of fat – I mean SEE it right there in front of your eyes; but you’re eating something that is pretty much an annual treat, after all. You can read the nutritional information on the back of a packet or jar all you like, but it isn’t as impactive as stirring it in yourself.
When you think of commercially prepared mincemeats with their additives, stabilisers and general weirdness, on TOP of all the fat, it should be some comfort that because you’ve made it yourself, you can identify all the ingredients – there’s no spookiness – these ingredients are natural and the difference speaks for itself, because the taste is so superior.

There are some really good mincemeats and mince pies available, but one bite tells you it’s from a shop; it is frankly, undeniable. Serve these and there is no way they are anything but tenderly, lovingly and joyfully home made.

Ho ho ho.

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Mum’s Mincemeat

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slightly adapted from a Delia Smith recipe

350g raisins,
225g sultanas,
225g currants,
350g soft dark brown sugar,
50g blanched almonds, cut into slivers,
125g whole mixed candied peel chopped very finely,
450g Bramley apples, cored and finely diced (don’t bother to peel them),
zest and juice of 2 oranges
zest and juice of  2 lemons,
4 tsp mixed spice,
½ tsp cinnamon,
a really good grating of nutmeg
225g shredded suet

6 tbsp Brandy

Combine all the ingredients, except the Brandy, in a large bowl. Stir, mix, combine really thoroughly. I stir each ingredient in (with my hands, no less) as I add it – that way you know you’re on top of it.
Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave overnight, or for 12 hours, to allow the flavours to blend.

When the time has elapsed, preheat the oven to GM ¼ (that was the ‘S’ setting on my oven) or 225F/120C.
Loosely cover the bowl with foil and out into the oven for 3 hours (2 hours if you’re doing a half quantity).
Remove the bowl from the oven, ditch the foil and allow it to cool. As it cools, stir it from time to time to completely incorporate the fat – as it cools and the fat coagulates, it will encase each little ingredient in there and facilitate good storage.

When it is cold, stir in the Brandy.
Clean and sterilise 6 1lb jars then allow them to cool. Pack the mincemeat into the jars, press a wax disc ont to the top and seal.
Should keep in a cool, dark cupboard indefinitely, but Delia recommends eating it within the year.