My Mother-in-Law was a fantastic cook but, unfortunately, never wrote anything down, so we were somewhat pleased when this recipe fell out of a book that she was fond of.
A book that hadn't been touched in over 30 years.
It is the only recipe of hers that we have, so I'd like to share it with you all.
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FRUIT SLICE

Ingredients
      125g unsalted butter
      1 cup dark brown sugar *
      1 tsp treacle (Optional)
      1 egg, lightly beaten
      140g mixed dried fruit
      85g glace cherries
      150g self-raising flour w/- ¼ tsp mixed spice

Method:

Preheat oven to 190C and butter a 28cm x 18cm (11” x 7”) baking tray.**
Melt butter in a saucepan large enough to hold all ingredients.
Add brown sugar and treacle*, stirring over low heat until dissolved. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.
Stir in egg, then add fruit and sift in flour and spice. Stir well to mix.
Press into tray and bake for 23 minutes.
The slice should have developed a caramel crust and will still move slightly when you rest your hand in the centre. If it is positively liquid, cook another 3 minutes.
Cool a little and mark into 7 strips across width of tray and 3 equal lengths along tray with a sharp knife. Allow to cool completely in tray, then cut into fingers and store in an airtight tin.

Makes 21.
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* I recently came across Billington's Dark Muscovado unrefined cane sugar.  [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
This makes the teaspoon of treacle unnecessary.

** I make the slice in the same aluminium 11" x 7" tray that she used. (Family heirloom  ;))
I've tried using one of the dark non-stick trays, but found that the slice tended to burn on the bottom.

Hope you try and enjoy....

There is light Muscovado sugar too, and demerera even icing sugar.

Great in big beers, stouts etc.

St George of the Garden wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2015 at 7:17pm:

There is light Muscovado sugar too, and demerera even icing sugar. Great in big beers, stouts etc.

I had already grabbed a packet of CSR dark brown when I noticed the Muscovado and compared the two side by side.
As it was about 3 shades darker I thought to give it a go.

When I opened the packet at home the aroma wafted through the house.
I'm now hooked....

Must have a look for the icing sugar.

Looks good I am glad that it wasn't another Tony Abbott topic.

Looks delicious and I will try it thanks.

Demerara sugar has very large cyrstals and I find it is best used for sprinkling on top of things like apple pie etc rather than mixing it through.

Black Orchid wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2015 at 8:55pm:

Looks delicious and I will try it thanks. Demerara sugar has very large cyrstals and I find it is best used for sprinkling on top of things like apple pie etc rather than mixing it through.

Comes with a Guarantee.
As I said, we had NO recipe as M-I-L wrote nothing down.
I used to watch her make it but could never remember the details.
I found various recipes that I thought were similar but ended up nothing like the original.
Then, woo-hoo, out flutters the scrap of paper during a clean-up.

The only change I have made is to convert the weights to metric.

You may vary the mixed fruit and cherries proportions, as long as you still have 225g total.

As you know, ovens vary, so no cheating by opening the oven to see how it's going.

About 15min into cooking the aroma spreads all through the house and smells like it is done......uh, uh.....

:)

never been a big fan of fruity things like that ... or xmas pudding... especially with those green and red cherry things in them... ugh!!