Placek with Dried Fruits

• Placek is a thin flat cake.
• Dried fruits are called bakalie in Polish – fruit from the Balkans.
• If this were a loaf shaped fruit cake it would be called a “keks” – however it works better in this thin version.
• Dried apricots are used, which is a bit different.
• The apricots are soaked overnight in brandy – so you have to start the cake the night before.

INGREDIENTS

• 175 dried apricots – chopped
• 3 tablespoons of brandy
• 175g butter
• 175g granulated sugar
• 4 eggs beaten
• 175g plain flour
• 225g raisins
• 225g currants
• 225g cherries*
• *
• *Or a mixture of cherries and mixed peel if you are short of cherries

METHOD

• Put the apricots and brandy in a small bowl.
• Cover and leave overnight.
• *
• Pre the oven to GM3 – 160°C
• Line 3 sides of a 32 x 22 baking tin.
• Mix the apricots with the other dried fruit.
• Cream the sugar and the butter.
• Add the eggs and beat together.
• Mix in all the dried fruit.
• Fold in the flour.
• Spread the cake mixture into the tin.
• *
• Bake for 50  –  60 minutes.