Chunky Brandied Christmas Fruitcake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried prune, pitted
1/2 cup dried apricot
225 g dried dates, pitted
1/2 cup crystallized ginger
2/3 cup candied peel
1/2 cup red glace cherries
1/2 cup glace green cherries
1 cup brandy
1 1/2 cups brazil nuts
1 1/2 cups walnuts
2/3 cup raw sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1 teaspoon almond essence
1 cup wholemeal plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preparation

Day one.
Coarsley chop all the dried fruit and place into a large glass or ceramic bowl.
Pour over brandy, cover with cling wrap and leave overnight (at least 12 hours) on your kitchen bench. Don't refridgerate.
Day two.
Add in coarsley chopped nuts and sugar. Stir.
In a seperate bowl, beat the eggs with the essence until thick. Add the flour and baking powder and stir.
Mix the cake mixture in with the fruit and nut mix, stir well.
Pour mixture into a greased and lined deep 20cm cake tin.
Gently drop the filled cake tin on the floor 5 times to remove all air bubbles.
Bake at 140oC for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, or until cooked.
Cool completley in the tin.
Serve in small slices.