SWIM Recipes

These recipes are all tried and tested family favourites which we suggest might be popular at SWIM Coffee Mornings

They are very easy and reliable and the cake and gingerbread recipes are designed to be cooked in oblong foil dishes, which are available from most supermarkets.

S.W.I.M. TRADITIONAL FRUIT CAKE

This recipe is designed to be cooked in an oblong foil dish (obtainable from most supermarkets), if possible lined with silicone paper or a proper pleated paper cake liner.

Ingredients :

  • 5 ounces SR flour + ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 ounces soft brown sugar
  • 4 ounces butter (use real butter – not Lurpak or any substitute)
  • 2 large eggs
  • * 2 ounces chopped glace cherries
  • * 4 ounces currants
  • * 3 ounces sultanas
  • * 2 ounces chopped mixed peel
  • * 2 ounces chopped walnuts
  • * 2 ounces chopped prunes
  • * Grated rind of half a lemon
  • * One ounce ground almonds
  • * A couple of drops of almond essence (Langdales if possible)
  • * A very generous tablespoon of sherry, whisky or brandy

Method :
Heat oven to 180 degrees (slightly less for fan oven).
Put all the items marked * in a bowl, mix well together, pour on the alcohol and leave if possible overnight so that the fruit absorbs all the alcohol. If you do not have all these different types of dried fruit and nuts, you can substitute alternatives (raisins, chopped brazil nuts, etc.) but make sure that the total quantity remains the same.

Cream the butter, add the sugar and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Beat in one egg, followed by a tablespoon of flour and beat well. Repeat with the second egg and a tablespoon of flour and again beat well. Mix the remainder of the flour into the fruit mixture, mix thoroughly but lightly. Tip the floured fruit into the cake mixture and mix everything together thoroughly but gently.

Put into foil dish and cook for 15 minutes at 180 degrees and then for 30 minutes at 140 degrees. Turn off oven, leave cake in oven until cool. Remove cake from foil dish when completely cold.

S.W.I.M. VERY EASY, VERY DELICIOUS GINGER NUTS

Ingredients:

  • 10 ounces SR flour
  • 4 ounces granulated sugar
  • Two teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
  • 4 ounces butter and soft margarine mixed together
  • One generous dessertspoon ground ginger
  • 3 tablespoons golden syrup

Method:
Heat oven to 180 degrees.

Mix flour, ginger and bicarbonate together in a bowl.

Melt the butter, golden syrup and sugar in a saucepan until sugar is completely dissolved.

Add the dry ingredients to the melted ingredients and mix very well.

Let the mixture cool slightly and then break off bits with hands – about the size of a whole walnut. Place well spaced out (because they will spread out when cooking), on baking tray lined with silicone paper, and cook in hot oven (about 180 degrees) for 15 minutes.

Keep an eye on them and when they look brown enough remove from oven and leave on baking tray for a few minutes until they harden slightly.

Spread out on clean working surface until completely cold and store in airtight tin. They will keep for ages – but you probably won’t be able to resist eating them!

S.W.I.M. EASY TO MAKE OLD FASHIONED STICKY GINGER BREAD

This recipe is designed to be cooked in an oblong foil dish (obtainable from most supermarkets), if possible lined with silicone paper or a proper pleated paper cake liner.

Ingredients:

  • 4 ounces SR flour
  • 4 ounces golden syrup
  • 1 ounce granulated sugar
  • 2 ounces butter (use real butter – not Lurpak or any substitute)
  • 1 large egg
  • Two generous teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Method:
Heat oven to 300 degrees.

Mix flour and ginger together in a bowl.

Melt the butter, golden syrup and sugar in a saucepan (don’t let it get too hot).

Beat the egg and milk together.

Mix all the ingredients together – it should be very soft.

Pour into lined foil dish and cook at 300 degrees in the middle of the oven for about 40 minutes

S.W.I.M. VERY EASY MACAROONS

Ingredients:

  • 4 ounces ground almonds
  • 8 ounces castor sugar (although granulated will do)
  • 2 teaspoons of ground rice
  • The whites of two eggs
  • A few drops of Almond Essence ( “Langdales” is best)
  • Rice paper

Method:
You must use rice paper for these macaroons. Don’t try to use silicone or greaseproof paper as they will stick to the paper and you won’t be able to get them off.

Put one layer of rice paper on each baking sheet; if the rice paper is not as large as the baking sheet, lay rice paper alongside each other so that the baking sheet is covered.

Heat oven to 150 degrees.

Mix the ground almonds, castor sugar and ground rice together; add the egg white and a few drops of Almond Essence and mix everything very well together with a wooden spoon.

Break off small pieces and place on to prepared baking trays – fairly well spaced out as they will spread.
Cook for about 15 minutes until they are slightly brown on top.

Remove baking trays from oven, leave for a few moments to cool and then break off macaroons with rice paper still sticking to undersides.
Store in an airtight tin or jar when completely cold.

S.W.I.M. SEA SALT CHOCOLATE FLAPJACKS

Ingredients:

  • 85g Dried Raisins
  • 3 Tbsps. clear honey
  • 150g unsalted butter
  • 85g dried cranberries
  • 250g rolled porridge oats
  • 75g light brown muscovado sugar
  • 100g sea Salt Chocolate, broken into chunks

Method:

Preheat the oven to 175 C. Line a 30x20x4cm tin with greaseproof paper. In a saucepan gently melt the butter, sugar and honey together. Remove from the heat and stir in the oats and dried fruit. Spread the mixture evenly into the tin, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Carefully melt the chocolate and drizzle over the flapjacks. Cut into 12 pieces.