Cold Tea Loaf Food

TEA LOAF

Steps:

• Mix the sultanas, raisins and orange zest in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the tea and cover the bowl. Leave to sit for a minimum of 6 hours or ideally overnight to allow the dried fruit to soak up all the liquid.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 4. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin. Add the eggs, flour and sugar to the soaked fruit, ensuring everything is well combined. Spoon the mixture into the tin and place in the centre of the oven for 1 hour 30 mins or until firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins before transferring to a wire rack.
• Cut into thick slices and serve with butter. To store, wrap tightly and keep in an airtight container for up to five days. The loaf will taste even better after a few days.

IRISH BARM BRACK (FRUIT LOAF)

Steps:

• Soak the raisins and currents in the cold tea overnight.
• Heat oven to 350F and line a 1 lb loaf pan with greased parchment paper.
• Add all the remaining ingredient to the raisins, currents and cold tea.
• Stir well and pour into the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake for apprx 1 1/2 hours or until cooked through.
• Keeps well in a covered tin.
• Serve buttered.

YORKSHIRE TEA LOAF

Steps:

• In a large bowl, add the freshly made tea to the mixed dried fruit. Cover and set aside for a minimum of 4 hours, ideally overnight, to allow all the goodness of the tea to soak into the fruits.
• In the morning, preheat the oven to 160 C fan-assisted and grease and line two 1-pound loaf tins with baking parchment. I use cake liners.
• Add the eggs into the soaked mixed fruit, followed by the sugar. DO NOT remove any of the remaining liquid. Mix thoroughly.
• Add the finely ground tea leaves to the flour and incorporate before adding this into the fruit mixture. Mix thoroughly.
• Pour evenly into the prepared tins and bake for 50 - 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven.
• Leave in the tins to cool completely before turning out.

ELLENS GINGERBREAD TEA LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Prepare a 8 1/2- x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan (or Nordicware gingerbread loaf pan) with a non-stick baking spray.
• Using some light brown sugar (or plain granulated sugar), dust the bottom and all sides of the pan, leaving a thin coating of the sugar.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, pepper, cloves, fennel, nutmeg, star anise, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
• Mix in 3 tablespoons of crystallized ginger; set aside.
• Using an electric mixer with a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and creamy.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well mixed.
• Add the vanilla extract and the fresh ginger.
• Slowly mix in 1/2 of the flour/spice mixture; then add milk and yogurt.
• Add the remaining 1/2 of the flour/spice mixture; blend just until smooth. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
• Sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons of crystallized ginger over the top surface of the batter, pressing the ginger lightly into the batter.
• Bake approximately 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven, let pan cool on a wire rack for ten minutes, and then turn cake out out of the loaf pan onto the wire rack to cool completely. When completely cool, using a fine mesh strainer, dust the top lightly with confectioners (powdered) sugar.
• If desired, garnish with whipped cream and seasonal berries.

ALMOST FAT-FREE BRITISH TEA LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Oil a loaf pan.
• Combine raisins and tea in a bowl. Steep for about 30 minutes.
• Mix flour, sugar, and allspice together in a second bowl. Add the raisin-tea mixture and egg. Gently combine using a rubber spatula; do not overmix. Scoop mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.