An Old Welsh Recipe for Easy Fruit Cake - Heritage recipe

• 12 oz. mixed dried fruit
• 3/4 pint of cold tea
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 oz. melted butter if required
• 1 lb. self-raising flour
• 4 oz. sugar
• a pinch of mixed spice

1. Soak the dried fruit in the tea overnight.
2. Next day, add the beaten egg to the mixture.
3. Mix the flour, sugar and spice together, and add the fruit, tea and egg mixture to form a wettish dough, stirring with a wooden spoon. To produce a Bara Brith with a more cake-like texture, add 3 oz. melted butter at this stage.
4. Bake on a greased flat pan at 350 degree F for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
5. Cool; slice and spread with butter.

Recipe 2: Bara Brith (Welsh Speckled Bread)

• 1 1/2 cups of milk
• 3/4 cups of sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 envelopes active dry yeast
• 6 tbsp. lukewarm water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup currants
• 1/4 cup chopped candied peel
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• about 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp. melted butter, lukewarm

1. Scald milk; add sugar and salt, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cool.
2. Dissolve yeast in water, add to milk mixture.
3. Stir in egg, raisins, currants, candied peel, cinnamon, nutmeg and 2 1/2 cups of flour.
4. Add 3 more cups flour and butter; mix thoroughly.
5. Form dough into a ball; turn onto lightly floured board and knead well.
6. Place dough in a bowl; grease the top.
7. Cover, let rise until doubled in bulk.
8. Divide dough in half; form loaves.
9. Place into 2 greased 8 x 4 x 2 inch loaf pans; cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk.
10. Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven 40 minutes, or until done.
11. Turn out on wire rack to cool.