Sharon's Onion Soup

After a friend and I had a lovely onion soup in a French Cafe in Weimar, Germany in the summer I was determined to create my own version of the soup so that I could enjoy it at home too. I was so happy with my first effort that I wrote the recipe down straight away.

Ingredients:
2 onions (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped finely – or crushed if you have a garlic crusher)
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
2 or 3 tsp gravy granules
Approx 3/4 pint boiling water
1 tsp soft brown sugar

1. Fry the onions and garlic with the herbs in a little oil until the onions go soft (at least 3 mins).
2. While the onions are cooking boil the water and mix with gravy granules and sugar.
3. Leave the gravy to stand.
4. Pour the gravy over the onions and simmer gently for 15-20 mins.
5. Add more water if soup becomes too thick for your liking.

Starting with my classic eggless fruit cake recipe

This cake is one of my favourites and it's really quite simple to make. I've been following this recipe for many years now and everybody who has tried it has loved it and come back for seconds. Some have gone as far as saying it's the best cake they've ever tasted. One friend who doesn't even like cake loves this cake. So try it.

Ingredients:
12oz plain flour
12oz dried fruit
6oz vegetable margarine
4oz sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground mixed spices
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp vinegar (I use malt vinegar, but white wine vinegar works too)
1/2 pint orange juice

1. Sieve the flour, ground spices, salt, sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.
2. Add the margarine and rub until you get a crumbly mixture.
3. Add the dried fruit and stir well.
4. Mix the vinegar and juice then stir them into the dry ingredients really well.
5. Pour into a lined cake tin.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hr 45 mins at 170C.