Mix the sugar into the tea to dissolve. Add the sultanas and raisins to the tea and leave overnight to soak. The next day bind the cherries and almonds with the beaten egg. Mix in the melted butter. Sieve the flour and baking powder and add to the egg mixture. Add the tea and fruit mixture and mix thoroughly. Pour into a cake tin and bake at 180C for 90minutes.

Soda Bread

This bread is a traditional Irish favourite and is still made fresh daily in many Irish homes. The secret to its taste and texture is making it as quickly and lightly as possible.

Sieve flour, salt, baking powder and sugar into a large bowl. Then sieve the mixture again to aerate it Add some of the buttermilk and mix to make a soft dough. Immediately knead the dough and shape into a loaf. Place it on a lightly-floured baking sheet and mark a cross in the top with a knife. Bake near the top of a pre-heated oven, gas mark 8, 450°F, 230°C, for 30-45 minutes. When baked, the loaf will sound hollow when tapped on its flat side. Cover immediately with a clean, damp tea-towel to stop the crust hardening too much.Wheaten bread or brown soda is made in exactly the same way but with wholemeal flour replacing all or some of the white flour; this mixture will probably require less buttermilk.

Mash potatoes well. Add salt and butter, then work in enough flour to make a pliable dough. Divide the dough in two and roll out on a floured surface and cut into farls. Bake on a hot griddle or heavy pan. Cut each circle into quarters and bake on a hot griddle or pan for about 5 minutes or until browned on both sides. Some people like to grease the baking surface, while others prefer a light dusting of flour for a drier effect. The inclusion of Potato Bread in a traditional Irish Breakfast is sometimes known as "an Ulster Fry".

Put the bacon and sausages in a saucepan and cover with boiling water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the sausages and bacon and set them with the sliced potatoes and onions into a heavy casserole dish. Pour over the liquid which you cooked the meat in. Season with salt and black pepper and cover before simmering for 1 hour at 350.

Makes 8

Preheat oven to gas mark 8/ 230°C/ 450°F. Sift flour with salt

and rub in butter or margarine. Make a little well in the centre and pour in the egg and most of the buttermilk. Mix quickly and turn out onto a floured surface. Roll out until 2.5cm/ 1 inch in thickness. Cut into 5cm/ 2 inch rounds with a special cutter or clean jam jar. Glaze with egg or milk and set on a floured baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until light brown. To make speckled herby scones add mixed herbs to the egg and buttermilk mixture.

Mix together the raw and cooked potatoes. Mix in the flour, salt and a little milk to form a soft dough. Roll out and shape into four ounds. Bake in a preheated oven at 160C for 40mins. Serve with the butter.

Boil and mash the potatoes. Peel and chop the onion. Heat the cabbage until tender. Add the onions to the milk bring to the boil then simmer until tender. Add the cream to the potatoes and leave