Groningen breakfast cake

Groninger koek

250 gram/10oz. Self rising flour
100 grams/4oz. Currants
100 grams/4oz. Raisins
125 ml/ cup tea
175 grams/7oz. brown sugar
150ml/cup milk
1 tsp ‘speculaaskruiden’* or ‘koekkruiden’*
½tsp ground clove (omit when using koekkruiden)
½tsp ground nutmeg (omit when using koekkruiden)
1 tsp cinnamon (omit when using koekkruiden)
3 tbsp ‘stroop’ or molasses;
salt

*make a batch of ‘koekkruiden’ from 2 teaspoons each of ground clove, ground cardamon (or nutmeg), ground anise, ginger powder, cinnamon and cacao.

*’speculaaskruiden’: if you can not obtain it from your Dutch store (or by mail order), make a batch using: 100 grams/4 oz. cinnamon;
25 grams/1oz. ground clove;
25 grams/1oz. ground mace;
10 grams/1/3oz. ginger powder;
5 gram/1/5oz. ground kardemon;

Steep the raisins and currants in the warm tea.

Mix the spices in with the flour, add salt to taste and the ‘stroop’ or molasses. Mix well and make a batter using the milk. Pat the raisins and currants dry. Sprinkle flour over them and add them to the batter. Pour the batter in a greased or non-stick cake pan and put the ‘Groninger’ is a preheated over at 150ºC/295ºF for an hour.

Instead of raisins and currants you also could use a 200 grams/8oz. (any) combination of currants, raisins, nuts, candied fruit, candied peel and or rock candy.