I used to sell about 1000 various fruitcakes per year in the food hall of Doncaster market. This recipe evolved over a few years to make it perfect for a business seller - there is no need to keep unwrapping, feeding and re-wrapping - time is money! The secret is to soak the fruit thoroughly and way ahead of time, so all the booze you need is already in there - then it permeates through the whole cake as it matures. Mature it for a month. It should keep well for abou

The secrets for a nicely shaped, well risen scone: Handle the dough as little as possible - you shouldn't really be kneading it, other than to just bring it together. Cut with a sharp metal cutter, or a sharp, flat-bladed knife that's been dusted with flour, and don't twist when you cut - just straight down and lift straight back up. Glaze/wash on the very top only - don't paint the sides, and try not to let it drip either. I prefer to cut into triangles for t

Now then...I've eaten A LOT of flapjacks in my life. I've baked thousands of the chuffs - we used to sell up to 12 dozen a week in my little sandwich shop. The best ones I tasted were packed with loads of fruit & nuts, and had that bit of extra rich, chewy squishy-ness. Over time I learned that they w