Cooking time: 40 mins.
Preparation time: 30 mins. plus time for rising
Main cooking utensils: stone jars, or coffee cans
Oven temperature: 400-425°F

For 12-16 people you need:

1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons milk and water mixed
1 oz. compressed yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup currants
1/2 cup chopped, blanched almonds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup oil or melted butter
2 eggs

Decoration:

1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
little warm water
few candied cherries and slivered almonds

1. Blend compressed yeast with sugar and add liquid.

2. Leave until frothy, about 10 minutes.

3. Mix flour, salt, sugar, currants, and almonds.

4. Pour in yeast liquid, vanilla extract, oil and eggs.

5. Mix well together until dough leaves sides of the bowel (SIC) clean.

6. Knead for 5 minutes on floured board.

7. Cover, then put to rise until nearly double in size – about 2 hours – knead again.

8. Shape dough to half fill greased pans.

9. Cover each pan with polythene or cloth; allow to rise for 40 to 60 minutes. i.e. until dough springs back when pressed.

10. Bake in center of oven until firm. Cool.

11. Blend confectioners’ sugar with enough warm water to blend and pour over cakes; sprinkle with chopped candied cherries and slivered almonds.

TO VARY: Rise and bake for only 15-20 minutes in muffin pans to make small individual cakes.

Printed in Canada. © Copyright Paul Hamlyn Ltd. 1967