Lincolnshire Food at Christmas Time: White Glacé Christmas tea cake

Makes one medium sized cake

10oz/275g plain flour, 8oz/225g butter, 8oz/225g caster sugar, 4 eggs, 4oz/110g Glacé cherries, 4oz/110g Glacé Pineapple, 4oz/110g Glacé Apricots 4oz/110g Glacé Peaches, 4oz/110g Glacé Pears, 2oz/55g Angelica, 4oz/110g Ground or chopped almonds, 2oz/55g Mixed peel

Icing: 6 tbs icing sugar, water to mix in

Preheat oven to 150ºC/300°F/ Gas 2. Line an 8-9 inch tin with a double thickness of greaseproof. Chop glacé fruits.

Cream butter and sugar together, lightly beat the eggs and add to the mixture, beating thoroughly. If the eggs show signs of curdling add a little flour.

Fold in the flour and all dry ingredients.

Place mixture in the prepared tin and bake for approximately 3 hours.

The cake is ready when a skewer comes out clean once inserted. Decorate with some runny white icing and frosted bay leaves.

Lincolnshire Food at Christmas Time: Cranberry & Mincemeat Muffins

Makes 20

200g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 3 tbsp caster sugar, 1 large egg, beaten, 125ml milk, 3 tbsp melted butter/rapeseed oil, 100g dried cranberries, 4 tbsp good quality mincemeat,

For the Topping: 200g cream cheese, 2 tbs icing sugar, ½ tsp vanilla essence, Dried cranberries, to decorate

Mix the ingredients together and top each muffin. Decorate with a dried cranberry. Preheat oven to 200C/Gas 6 Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl. Make a well in the centre.

Add the remaining ingredients. Gently fold everything together to make a wet batter. Spoon batter into 20 of the buttered muffin cups. Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, 12 minutes. Turn out and cool completely on wire rack.

When cool top with cream cheese icing and decorate with a dried cranberry.