We're big tea drinkers - Yorkshire Tea, obviously - and this is the perfect loaf to go with a cuppa. Packed with juicy fruit and very low in fat, it's also at the healthier end of the spectrum (an apple would be better, of course, but that's not quite so comforting). Because the fruit needs to be soaked in advance, you do need to be a bit organised and get that sorted the night before (not easy for the impatient among us, myself included). Try using any dried fruit you have - we used a combination of raisins, figs and apricots chopped up. It's particularly delicious buttered.
- 1 cup of black tea
- 220g mixed dried fruit of your choice
- 220g self-raising flour
- 1 egg
- Sprinkle of mixed spice (optional)
- Pinch of salt
- 110g sugar (we used light brown sugar, but caster sugar is fine)
- 2 tablespoons marmalade
1. Soak the dried fruit in the tea overnight.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180c/gas 4 and grease a 1lb loaf tin (line with greaseproof paper if you like).
3. In a large bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients and then add the fruit and tea mixture. Stir until fully mixed.
4. Pour into the loaf tin and bake in the oven for between 45 minutes and 55 minutes (ours took 45 minutes but our oven is quite fierce). It should be golden on top and cooked through.
5. Cool for a couple of minutes in the tin, then cool on a rack.