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Howard - you requested recipes - here are two to try:
RICH FRUIT CAKE FOR CHRISTMAS
Ingredients:
10-ozs mixed Fruit; 1-free range egg, beaten
4-ozs muscavado or soft brown sugar;
4-ozs butter; 9-ozs self raising flour;
half pint water;
half teaspoon each of mixed spice, cinnamon, ginger
and grated nutmeg
2-ozs glace cherries, rinsed, dabbed dry and quartered;
half eggcup of brandy
Method:
1) Pre-heat oven to slow temperature 140 C, 275F
2) Put mixed fruit, sugar, butter and water in a large saucepan, simmer for 20 mins.
stirring frequently. Cool for 20-minutes;
3) Beat one egg and add to the saucepan, mixing well.
4) Sift flour and spices together and stir cherries into the flour mix.
5) Add dry mix to ingredients in the pan, and lightly stir in, with the brandy.
6) Turn into a (lined) 8" round or 7" square deep tin and put into preheated oven. After half an hour cover top of cake with doubled piece of greaseproof (or foil). Bake for a further 40 or 50 minutes - test in centre of cake with skewer and when skewer comes out clean the cake is cooked.
Leave in the tin to cool completely, preferably overnight, on a cooling tray.
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MINCE-PIES with SHORT PASTRY:
1-lb self raising flour; 5-ozs lard AND 5-ozs butter;
Grate the fats into the flour mixture, very lightly, handling as little as possible; add about a teacup of very cold water (iced if possible), lightly incorporate into mixture, using a knife, adding more water if necessary until pastry just "holds together", to enable it to be lightly rolled out. Cut the same number of large and small rounds. Large for bottoms, small for tops.
Use a good quality mincemeat, to which you can add a few flaked almonds, chopped glace cherries, and a little rum or brandy if desired.
Using a patty-tin, fill each small pastry case well with the mincemeat, damping the edges and pinching pastry together - again very lightly. Cut three "nicks" in top with scissors.
You can sprinkle a little granulated sugar on top if liked, (traditionally short pastry is not glazed, but can be brushed with egg).
Bake in a pre-heated oven (200C, 400 F), until pastry is golden. Handle with care. Cool on tray.
Best eaten fresh and warmed if possible.
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