She is nestled in the heart of UK. Our bonding goes back to childhood, we were one of the most glued cousins. We spent many summers reciting Madonna songs by heart :-) She was the biggest Tom Cruise fan I knew. And I picked it up too :-) We went to the same college, and shared the same interests and gossip. We sat designing fancy gowns when we got bored at weddings, or zipped through crowded city traffic in two wheelers.
Well, some things differed. She loved reading books and newspapers all the time. My dad even nicknamed her scientist for all the reading she did! I really wished she dint read that much in front of my dad, so he would stop mocking me..lol
The sad part is we haven't seen each other in 13 years. I got married and moved to the US. She moved to UK with her family :( We talk for hours over the phone eve now, but we have not seen each other, our children have never met, how sad is that. I have a lump in my throat just writing it. We hope to meet some day, soon.
Here are some perfect, little fruit cakes that she made and frosted with the utmost care. Check it out, in her own words.
Not much ingredients. Easy to do.
1kg mixed fruits . Soak it with brandy or rum for at least 2 weeks. I soaked them for a month.
200gms unsalted butter
200gms dark brown soft sugar
225gms plain flour( if you like a little spice sift the flour with 1 tsp of all spice powder and 1/2 tsp of nutmeg powder)
4 medium eggs.
Preheat oven @150C , fan assisted 130C.
Grease and line bottom and sides of a 8" tin. If you use 4"tins you get about 8 small cakes.
Cream butter and sugar. Gradually whisk in eggs one at a time. Fold in the flour and the mixed fruits.
Spoon the mixture into prepared tins. Bake for 2 hrs or till the skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the cake is browning too much cover with grease proof paper. Cool in tin for 15 mins. Turn out onto a wire rack. Cool. Decorate when cold.
To decorate...
Brush all over the cake with warm apricot jam. Roll out white fondant. Cover the cake. Decorate to your desire.
I've not used marzipan because we don't like the taste of it. But if you want first cover the cake with marzipan. Brush the marzipan with little brandy, then cover with fondant. By using marzipan you get smoother finish. If not using marzipan, roll the fondant a bit thick to give a nice finish.