Irish tea bread

Ingredients

• 200ml strong Fairtrade tea
• 450g (1lb) mixed Traidcraft dried fruit (a combination of chopped apricots, chopped prunes and raisins or Traidcraft tropical mixed fruit)
• 175g (6oz) Traidcraft Demerara sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 25g (1oz) butter, melted
• 250g (9oz) Self-raising flour
• 2tsp Mixed spice

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC (160ºC for fan assisted ovens), Gas Mark 4.
2. Place the tea, mixed fruit and sugar in a bowl; cover and leave overnight.
3. Stir in the egg and melted butter.
4. Sieve the flour and spice together and fold in.
5. Line the bottom of a large loaf tin with baking parchment. Pour the mixture in and smooth the top.
6. Bake on the middle shelf for 90 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and leave in tin for 2-3 minutes; then turn out and cool on a wire rack.

With thanks to Key Contact Mary Hardy for this recipe.