Apricot Fudge Cake

(from Andrea Kenrick)

My mother wasn’t the greatest of chefs so I suspect she didn’t get to dad’s heart through his stomach. However, she does have a knack with baking and slices so perhaps she made this for him at an opportune moment!

This recipe comes from mum’s handwritten recipes so I’m not sure where it originated but I certainly knew that it had to come into my own cookbook once I started one. This slice always holds a special place in my heart, not only because it’s so yummy it’s almost unbelievable, but because it always reminds me of dad and his warmth and charm and how much he loved it and mum.

In our family it was always billed as dad’s favourite and always made especially for him. Us kids all knew that and hoped maybe we’d get one slice….if we were lucky. It was also understood that dad got to have this after we’d gone to bed because it always seemed to disappear pretty quickly without much input from us!

I remember his smile when he knew that mum, and then me, was making it for him. He’d get a twinkle in his eye like a small boy waiting for a treat. That’s how I like to remember him – being deliciously cheeky and loving the finer things in life and being spoiled. It also reminds me how nice it is to do something for someone else. That making a slice of heaven for someone else is a great way to show how much you love them.

So I say – make this recipe and not only will you love it yourself, but share with your loved ones and enjoy their appreciation because you took some time to do something gorgeous and spoily. It’s super easy to make and tastes like heaven. I like to make it every now and then for dad, knowing that he loved being spoiled and he loved Apricot Fudge Cake!!

Apricot Fudge Cake

Melt together

• 4oz butter
• 3oz brown sugar
• ½ tin condensed milk

Add

• 1 Cup dried apricots (chopped)
• 1 packet of crushed plain biscuits

Press into a greased sponge roll tin and sprinkle well with desiccated coconut.