Ladies a Plate

From Alexa Johnston's latest newsletter

Winter is the time for using dried fruit in your baking. A simple Sultana Cake in the tin is a perfect winter standby and this one has an impressive pedigree. It was the specialty of Bert von Oomen, whose daughter Yvonne is married to Peter Hillary. Bert always made the cake for Peter to take on expeditions, so it is both a good traveller and a good keeper. For a special occasion at home, try some Spicy Date Jumbles in which coconut dough, a smooth date filling and lemon icing work together very well indeed.  And finding a way to show off the jams you made last summer is also a good idea.  I particularly like the way a little red jam cooked in a small biscuit bakes to a very pleasant firm chewiness, so here is a recipe for classic old-fashioned Jam Drops.  Looking at the recipes I’ve put on the Ladies, a Plate website over the past four years, I can see some evidence of my liking for caramel and chocolate. . . I’ve included here another slice, drier and simpler than the Date Jumbles, made with coconut base, a thin layer of caramel topping, and chocolate icing on top with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. The salt is optional, but adds a real lift to the sweet flavour, I think New Recipes Simple Sultana Cake This is an absolutely delicious cake which cuts into extremely neat slices. It is also very quickly mixed and keeps well. The recipe came from Bert Oomen, who made it regularly for his son-in-law Peter Hillary to take on expeditions, so it travels well, too. More