SERVES 8-10
-75g/3oz/3|4 cup dried cranberries;
-75g/3oz/scant 1|2 cup pitted prunes;
-50g/2oz/1|3 cup sultanas (golden raisins);
-175ml/6fl oz/3|4 cup port;
-2 pieces preserved stem ginger, chopped;
-25g/1oz/2 tbsp unsalted (sweet) butter or non-hydrogenated margarine;
-45ml/3tbsp light muscovado (brown) sugar;
-90g/3 1|2oz scant 2 cups fresh white or wholemeal (whole-wheat) breadcrumbs;
-600ml/1 pint/ 2 1|2 cups double (heavy) cream or soya cream;
-30ml/2tbsp unrefined icing (confectioners) sugar;
-5ml/1tsp mixed (apple pie) spice;
-75g/3oz/3|4 cup brazil nuts, finely chopped (superfine) sugar or rapadura and fresh cherries, to decorate.
1. Quickly process the cranberries, prunes and soltanas in a food processor. Tip them into a bowl and add the port and ginger. Leave for 2 hours.
2. Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the sugar and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Tip in the breadcrumbs, stir gently, then fry over a low heat for about 5 minutes until lightly coloured aand turning crisp. Leave to cool.
3. Finely process the breadcrumbs in a food processor. Sprinkle a third into an 18cm/7 in loose-based springform tin (pan) and freeze. Whip the cream, icing sugar and mixed spice until thick but not yet standing in peaks. Fold in the brazil nuts with the dried fruit mixture and any port that has not been absorbed.
4. Spread a third of the mixture over the breadcrumb base in the tin. Sprinkle with another layer of the breadcrumbs. Rpeat the layering, finishing with a layer of the cream mixture. Freeze the torte overnight. Make the sugared bay leaves by paintin both sides of the leaves with beaten egg white, dusting evenly with sugar and leaving to dry for 2-3 hours. Chill the torte for about1 hour before serving, decorated with sugared bay leaves and fresh cherrries.
Nutritional info per portion: Energy 507 kcal/2098 kj; Protein 6.3g; Carbohydrate 38.4g of which sugar 21g, Fat 36.4g of which saturate 17g, Cholesterol 61mg, Calcium 92mg, Fibre 2.3g, Sodium 209mg.