Sun 19 Dec

I have had an idea for some while to make a Christmas cake.

Fortunately our nearest part of Omdurman souq is especially dedicated to baking - a choice of flours, all sorts of dried fruit, glacé cherries, and cut-mixed peel. I buy these and almonds, date "meat" and Lyle's golden syrup (our sugar intake is so deprived here you know) and note, that should the need arise, they also sell "hundreds and thousands", icing nozzles and cookie cutters.

Neil and Eleanor prepare the ingredients while I scrub the washing-up bowl (did anyone realise it's a bright pink?) for mixing them; we have no scales so it is a case of guessing the weights and proportions. We each take a turn to stir and make a wish.

We choose the largest cooking pan as our cake tin. I scrub it out, butter it well and place the wrapper across the bottom of the pan for fear of being unable to extract the cake afterwards.