An Oldie but a Goodie

Food is a way to celebrate, nourish and connect. For many people, food is a special part of their memories and relationships. Whether it's the biscuits your Nana made for you, or the Sunday night roast potatoes with that special ingredient, we all have tastes and textures that we cherish. 

To celebrate Seniors Week 2015, Wesley Mission Brisbane asked aged care residents, clients and staff, to share their tried and (taste) tested recipes, proving recipes stand by the principle of 'an oldie but a goodie'.

Nancy is a resident at Wesley Mission Brisbane’s Jacobs Court Aged Care Community.

Nancy grew up in the Lockyer Valley, at Stanthorpe on a farm. They always made apple fruit cake, or ‘mother’s puddin’ cake’, as they called it, whenever guests came to stay or whenever friends dropped in. It was particularly good on canasta nights! Sometimes ingredients could be hard to come by on the farm so everything was always made from scratch and nothing wasted. “Whenever mother baked an apple fruit cake, it never lasted very long. It was dense and delicious, and particularly good served with custard.”

Nancy’s Apple Fruit Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups of self raising flour
• ½ tsp of salt
• 1 tsp spice mix
• ½ cup of butter, melted
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ cups mixed fruit
• 1 tsp bi-carbonate soda
• ½ cup grated green apple

Method

Step 1
Combine flour, salt, and spice mix in a mixing bowl.

Step 2
In a saucepan add the butter, water, brown sugar, bi-carbonate soda and mixed fruit and over a low heat until the mixture is combined and the sugar has dissolved.

Step 3
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix in the grated apple.

Step 4
Spoon mixture into prepared tin.

Step 5
Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in centre of the cake. Turn out to cool on wire rack.

Click here to receive your free An oldie but a goodie recipe book PDF and here to find out more about Wesley Mission Brisbane.