A treat that's rapidly becoming a tradition at Terragong is the twice (sometimes thrice) weekly baking of a traditional boiled fruitcake, from a recipe passed to Darryl from a dear family friend Eileen Beresford. Darryl recounts how, as a young gent about town in Auckland, he'd visit with Eileen regularly and devour the fruitcake that Eileen always had on hand to offer visitors, sitting in its cake tin on the kitchen table. Upon Eileen's passing in 2001, her daughter Nicola Caulson put together a stunning picture book dedicated to the memory of her mum and dad, which was gifted to close family and friends.
A pictorial history of a life well-lived, containing snippets of favourite poetry, letters sent and received over the decades and treasured photos of family, friends and special places, the book also contains Eileen's recipe for this very special (yet very simple) traditional boiled fruitcake. Our guests have certainly enjoyed helping themselves to a slice (or two!) as it sits under its glass cloche in the Butler's Pantry - the perfect (not too sweet) accompaniment to a pre-breakfast, midday afternoon or late evening cup of tea or coffee...and so the tradition lives on...
Eileen's Boiled Fruit Cake
Take one pound of dried fruit of your choice...
Place in a pot and cover with water.
Boil for five minutes and drain.
Add half a pound of butter.
Cover the pot until the butter melts.
Beat in three eggs and a little vanilla essence.
Add three quarters of a pound of sugar,
three quarters of a pound of flour and
one teaspoon of baking powder.
Pour into a tin and bake for one and a half hours at 150C.
