Favourite Fruit Loaf Recipes

Steps:

• Heat gently together in a pot on stove top the water, sugar, dried fruit and butter until butter melts and sugar dissolves.
• Allow to cool for a few minutes then stir in flour and spices and baking soda.
• Pour into a large loaf pan which has been greased and floured or bottom lined with baking paper and bake at 350'F for 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and leave to cool in tin for 10 minutes then tip out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
• Serve cut in slices and buttered.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating until creamy.
• Blend in milk.
• In another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and lemon rind.
• Pour into batter.
• Stir to moisten.
• Scrape into greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
• Bake in 350f degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes.
• Cool in pan for 5 minutes.
• Remove to rack and while still hot, with a toothpick poke holes all over the top of the loaf, and spoon glaze evenly over.
• Cool.
• Glaze: Combine lemon juice and sugar in saucepan.
• Stir and heat till sugar is dissolved.
• Spoon evenly over top of hot loaf.

Steps:

• Soak the dried fruits in the orange juice for about 30 mins, then sieve, reserving the juice.
• Put the flour, yeast, caster sugar and 1 tsp salt into a large mixing bowl with the spices and soaked fruit and mix well. Make a well in the centre and pour in the warm milk, reserved orange juice, the beaten egg and the melted butter. Mix everything together to form a dough - start with a wooden spoon and finish with your hands. If the dough is too dry, add a little more warm water; if it's too wet, add more flour.
• Knead in the bowl or on a floured surface until the dough becomes smooth and springy. Transfer to a clean, lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with a clean, damp tea towel. Leave in a warm place to rise until roughly doubled in size - this will take about 1 hr depending on how warm the room is.
• Knock the dough back by kneading for a few secs. Dust 2 x 2lb loaf tins with flour. Halve the dough. Use a little flour to help you shape each half into a smooth oval, then pop them into the tins. Cover both loosely with a clean, damp tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for about 20 mins. Meanwhile, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Bake for 20 mins, then cool in the tins before turning out and slicing.

Steps:

• Sieve the flour into a bowl and cut in the margarine.
• Rub in the margarine until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Wash the fruit and roll in a little flour (stops it sinking).
• Add the fruit and sugar to the flour and mix.
• Beat the egg and gradually add to the flour mixture.
• Grease a loaf tin.
• Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for approx 50 minutes at gas mark 5.
• Test the loaf by inserting a clean knife; if it emerges clean, it's cooked.
• NB-Most times I make this I double the recipe, as it gets eaten so quickly!