Fruit Cake is usually something many people with intolerances miss out on - and i for one love it - so here is my recipe for the most delicious gluten free fruit cake you could ever want!

Ingredients:

1 kg mixed fruit
125g (4oz) butter
4 eggs, beaten
1 dessertspoon Parisian essence (brown colouring, optional)
440g (14oz) unsweetened crushed pineapple
125g (4oz) almonds
1 teaspoon pre-gel starch OR xanthan gum OR guar gum
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 cup bought gluten-free flour OR ½ soya, ¼ rice and ¼ potato flour
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon mixed spice
1 tablespoon Amaretto liqueur*
1 tablespoon Cointreau*

*(If you don't have these liqueurs on hand you can buy a nip of each from your local pub, OR whatever liqueurs you prefer OR use almond essence and orange essence.)

Method:

Cook the fruit and liqueurs on HIGH for five minutes in the microwave. (Joanna cunningly uses a round glass dish about eight inches wide and four inches deep -- 20x10cm -- and also cooks the cake in it.)

Add the butter and spices. Tip this mixture into a large basin and stir in the rest of the ingredients.

Line the glass dish with baking paper, pour in the ingredients, cook on HIGH for 15 minutes, elevating the dish while cooking, for example by sitting it on a small upturned china dish.

Test with a skewer. (When the skewer comes out clean, the cake is cooked.)

Allow the cake to cool before removing from the container. You can simply remove the baking paper and the put the cake back in the dish it was cooked in, put the lid on and store in the fridge. How's that for simplicity!

After a few days the taste improves as the flavours meld together - thats if you can resist it for that long.

Bundaberg Rum is produced in Queensland. It's potent stuff, but very tasty and a great alcahol for those with Wheat and gluten allergies.

Easy to make, these sweet treats are a nice perk-me-up served with a late-night cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

250g (8oz) dark chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed skim milk
4 teaspoons overproof rum -- from Bundaberg, of course!
2 teaspoon vanilla essence
cocoa

Method:

Melt chocolate and butter over hot water. Stir in condensed milk. Beat in rum and vanilla. Chill until firm enough to handle. Using a teaspoon, form balls and drop into cocoa. Store in refrigerator.

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GLUTEN FREE