Sweet summer sponge

Ease into the New Year with slow mornings and restful days, preparing these deliciously nostalgic Irish dishes that are the epitome of comfort eatin

Get your winter bake on with these fabulous creations

Ingredients (Serves 8) 65 g ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped 65 g ready-to-eat dried figs, chopped 75 g ready-to-eat dried prunes, chopped 65 g Maraschino or glacé cherries, halved Half an orange,

Winter suppers with family and friends are made even more special with Clodagh McKenna’s delicious, easy and feel-good recipes

SERVES 8-10 PREP 10 mins plus cooling and setting COOK 2 hrs 45 mins EASY V 1kg mixed dried fruit 1 lemon, zested and juiced 150ml sherry, plus 3 tbsp 250g butter 200g light muscovado sugar 150g plain

This easy, stylish decoration is quick to achieve, and you can adapt the sugarpaste colour and sprinkles to your taste. Once iced, the decorating takes just minutes.