Rock Cakes Rock

When I was very little my mother used to take me to BB Park.  Inside this amusement park there was a little confectionery shop.  Sometimes as a treat my mother would buy my brother and me a cream horn or a rock cake.  But my favorite has always been a rock cake. It is not really a cake, more a big cookie.


A few weeks ago I was in my friends' house for tea.  Terry served us rock cakes.  He said the maid baked the cakes and they were really easy to make.  Terry said the recipe is from a book given to him decades ago.  I got the recipe from Terry and since then made several batches.  You got to try this, it is really easy and delicious!

Ingredients :

1. 230 gm - self raising flour
2. 100 gm - butter
3. 75 gm - caster sugar
4. 100 gm mixed dried fruit
5. 1 egg - lightly beaten
6. 50 gm roughly chopped up almond (optional)
7. 2 - 4 teaspoon milk

Method

1. Sift the flour into a big mixing bowl.
2. Put the butter into the flour, using your hand rub the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
3. Add in the sugar, mixed fruit and almond.

1. Mixed everything well then add in the beaten egg and milk.
2. Knead the egg and milk  into the mixture to form a stiff dough.
3. Leave the dough aside for 10 minutes.

1. Put a piece of baking paper on a baking sheet.
2. Using a big spoon or ice cream scoop, make 10 dollops of the dough on the baking sheet.

1. Using the back of a large fork, flatten the dollops slightly.  Don't worry it doesn't have to be a perfect circle.  It is suppose to look rough and raw. 
2. Decorate each cake with a cherry in the center.

1. Bake it in an over at 200c for 20 minutes.  Cakes should be golden brown.
2. Cool before storing.

The whole process including baking takes about 40 minutes. 

Note : The rock cake is a very robust and basic cookie.  It is not finicky and pretty like the cup cakes.  In fact the raw and tough image is it biggest attraction.  You can actually put any additional ingredients into the mixture.  For more bite I have included chopped almonds.  If you prefer, you may add in extra raisin and fruit peel.  Have fun.