RICH, MOIST, SCRUMPTIOUS FRUIT CAKE
(Easy to make in a microwave)
Ingredients:
1 kg mixed fruit;
125g (4oz) butter;
4 eggs, beaten;
1 dessertspoon Parisian essence

(brown colouring, optional);
440g (14oz) unsweetened crushed pineapple;
125g (4oz) almonds;
1 teaspoon pre-gel starch OR xanthan gum

OR guar gum ;1 teaspoon cream of tartar;
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda;
1 cup bought gluten-free flour ;

OR ½ soya, ¼ rice and ¼ potato flour
1 tablespoon nutmeg;
1 tablespoon mixed spice;
1 tablespoon Amaretto liqueur;
1 tablespoon Cointreau ;
(If you don't have these liqueurs on

hand you can buy a nip of each

from your local pub, OR whatever

liqueurs you prefer OR use almond

essence and orange essence.)
Method:
Cook the fruit and liqueurs on HIGH

for five minutes in the microwave.

(Joanna cunningly uses a round glass

dish about eight inches wide and four

inches deep -- 20x10cm -- and also

cooks the cake in it.)
Add the butter and spices.

Tip this mixture into a large basin and

stir in the rest of the ingredients.
Line the glass dish with baking paper,

pour in the ingredients, cook on HIGH

for 15 minutes, elevating the dish while

cooking, for example by sitting it on a

small upturned china dish.
Test with a skewer. (When the skewer

comes out clean, the cake is cooked.)
Allow the cake to cool before removing

from the container. You can simply

remove the baking paper and the put

the cake back in the dish it was cooked

in, put the lid on and store in the fridge.

How's that for simplicity!
If you can ignore the mouth-watering

aroma, after a few days the taste

improves as the flavours meld together.
~
 THANKS TO JOANNA-