My First Post ! Thoughts on Tea Brack

Well here I am... without a clue as to how all this works, making my very first blog post. I think that's what it's called...

I've been snacking on my Tea Brack today as I need sustenance after a weekend of stress and fun at the local agricultural show... This is a very traditional Irish bread/cake, which you eat sliced like bread and smothered in butter. There is also an English version called Tea Bread, which is very similar.

I have a habit of changing recipes around a bit to make them into exactly my fav food, so here is my version of Irish Tea Brack - which to me is heavenly.

Most Tea Brack recipes have Irish whiskey in them. This is totally unneccessary when you use demerera sugar, as demerera gives it that same taste.

Irish Tea Brack

Ingredients
1 lb Golden raisins (dried)
0.5 lbs Sultanas (dried)
0.5 lbs Currants (dried)
1 lb Demerera sugar
2 Cups of cold milkless strong black tea
1lb Plain flour
3 Eggs - beaten
3 teaspoons Baking powder
5 teaspoons Mixed spice

1. Soak the dried fruit for 3 days in the cold tea. You will need a large bowl for this. Make sure it's covered well to keep out keen and hungry insects. (Most recipes say to soak overnight - but if you want this to be amazing, stick to the 3 days).

2. Then add all the other ingredients and beat it to mix it well.

3. Coat the sides of 2 loaf tins with butter and then shake some plain flour around their insides. This stops the loaves from sticking. Use 2lb loaf tins.

4. Spoon the mixture into the tins, dividing it equally between the 2.

5. Bake for 1.5 hours at 160c, or gas mark 3.

6. When they are cooked and you take them out of the oven, immediately coat the tops with honey and then place them back inside the oven to dry. Remember to turn the oven off first !!

7. When they are dry, take them out and allow to totally cool before trying to remove the loaves from the tins.

Tea Brack is best kept for at least 3 days before eating (wrap it in tin foil). The taste improves in this time, as does the texture.

I hope you love this as much as I do... it is especially incredible with unsalted butter Mmmmmmm...