Tea Bread Recipes

MUMMY'S TEA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• Place the dates, sugar, salt, and butter into a bowl, and pour in the boiling water. Stir together and set aside to cool. Once cool, mix in the egg.
• Stir the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar together in a bowl. Pour the raisin mixture over the flour mixture, and stir together until thoroughly combined. Mix in the vanilla extract and, if desired, walnuts. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely. Wrap in aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator.

MOIST AND FRUITY TEA LOAF

Steps:

• Place the sultanas and raisins in a bowl and pour over the hot tea. Cover and allow to soak up the liquid overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F. Line a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment or a loaf tin liner.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and mixed spice in a mixing bowl and stir together.
• Mix in the melted butter and eggs - using a wooden spoon or spatula.
• Add in the raisins, sultanas and any liquid left in the bowl.
• Stir together until everything is thoroughly combined. It will be a very wet mixture.
• Spoon the mixture into the lined loaf tin, place in the oven and bake for 1 hour - to 1 hour 15 minutes. You'll know it's done when an inserted skewer comes out clean. If you find that the top of the tea bread is starting to look too dark whilst it's in the oven, you can cover it will foil.
• Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Then remove from the tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

MY GRANDMOTHER'S FAT FREE ENGLISH TEA LOAF - BREAD

Steps:

• You will need two 1 lb (450 g) loaf tins (6 x 4 x 2 1/2 inches), the bases lined with greaseproof paper (parchment).
• The evening before you want to bake these loaves, place all the fruits, including the candied peel, in a bowl, then dissolve the sugar in the hot tea, pour this over the fruits, cover the bowl and leave it overnight.
• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 3, 325°F/170°C.
• Beat the egg and add the milk.
• Add the beaten egg & milk mixture to the bowl containing the fruits. Then sift in the flour, and mix them together well.
• Now divide the mixture between the prepared loaf tins and bake them in the centre of the oven for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until they feel springy in the centre.
• Then straight away, loosen them with a palette knife and turn them out on to a wire rack to cool.
• Store in an airtight tin or cover with extra greaseproof paper and freeze. (For up to 3 months).
• These are great sliced, toasted and served with butter as a tea-time snack.

ALMOND TEA BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine almond paste and butter; beat until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, gently toss cherries and 1 tablespoon flour. Set aside., Combine the baking powder, salt, remaining flour; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition., Spoon a sixth of the batter into each of two greased and floured 8x4-in. loaf pans; sprinkle layers with half of the fruit. Cover with another layer of batter and sprinkle with remaining fruit. Top with remaining batter; smooth with spatula. , Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1-1/4 hours. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool.