Teabread Tutorial

Sometimes called a fruit loaf, this is a cake really, not a bread, though it is dense and often eaten sliced, spread with butter. It has no flavourings added, like spices etc that you'd taste in a rich fruit cake. All the flavour comes from the fruit, the dark sugar and the tea. It's not crumbly like a cake, but smooth and moist.

The recipe is from my friend Maggie who, you'll notice, insists on sticking resolutely to imperial measurements! I always make 2 and freeze one, which is why the measurements are doubled in brackets.

Enough of the preamble, on to the business in hand.

Teabread

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6oz (12oz) currants
5oz (10oz) raisins
5oz (10oz) sultanas
1 (2) teacup brown sugar (I tend to use soft dark or light brown)
1 (2) teacup cold tea (I’ve used ‘normal’ and Earl Grey)
2 (4) teacups self raising flour
1 (2) beaten medium egg

Make the tea and allow to go cold.
Mix fruit, sugar and tea and leave overnight. The fruit will swell and the flavours will mingle.

Add flour and egg and mix thoroughly.

This is the resulting concoction.I love these siliconized loaf cases! Makes clean-up so easy.They were invented for lazy people like me.
Bake at 180*C/360*F for approx 1 ½ hours – it’s cooked when a skewer/knife comes out clean. It may need protecting with a sheet of greaseproof paper over the top for the last 30 mins or so.

I think the tins I use are 2lb loaf tins – the base of the one I use measures 3 ½ ins by 7 ½ ins.

Serve sliced with or without butter.
And finally, Dear Reader, make sure your daughter does the washing up.

She loves it really.