Everything Stops For Tea

Last winter we took a bike ride along the coast and stopped off in a cafe half-way for refreshments and to warm up.  This is when I tasted tea bread for the first time and found it so delicious that I vowed to have a go making it myself, but this never happened.

And then last week-end, my decluttering of the kitchen cupboards coincided with coming across a teabread recipe in the newspaper and it seemed about time I gave it a go.  The recipe called for mixed dried fruit but as I was using up old packets from my kitchen stores, I used a mixture of dried cranberries, raisins and sultanas.  Some of the fruit looked a bit dry (well there's dried fruit, and even drier fruit) but it was amazing how soaking it in the tea made it all plump and juicy again!

I adapted this recipe to make it low gluten, with half and half spelt flour and gluten free plain flour but to make it completely gluten free, go for 100% gluten free flour and also gluten free baking powder.

Tea Loaf Recipe

275g mixed dried fruit

300ml strong black tea (I used 1 x Earl Grey and 1 x Vanilla Chai teabag)

60g soft dark brown sugar

zest of 1 orange (optional)

2 large eggs

275g plain flour (or substitute for gluten free)

2.5 tsp baking powder (gluten free if going down that route)

1 tsp ginger

half tsp cinnamon

quarter tsp nutmeg

quarter tsp salt

Method

1. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin and preheat the oven to 170C/335F/gas mark 3.5
2. Put the dried fruit and tea together in a saucepan and bring just to the boil.  Allow to simmer for 1 minute then add the sugar and leave to cool slightlybefore stirring in the zest and eggs.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, spices and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the tea mixture and stir lightly until combined.
5. Spoon into the loaf tin and bake for 50-55 minutes