My Favourite Tea Bread

1 cup sultanas or raisins

1 tsp mixed spice

1tsp cinnamon

25g butter

1 cup hot strong tea (without milk)

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 or 2 1/4 cups self raising flour

Measure the sultanas, mixed spice, cinnamon and butter in to a medium sized bowl.  Pour hot recently made tea over them and leave to stand until cold.

When the mixture is cold, add the brown sugar and self raising flour.  If you use 2 cups of flour the tea bread will be more cake-like, whereas if you use 2 1/4 cups of flour the tea bread will be more bread like.  Mix gently until just combined, don't overmix or the tea bread will be tough.

Line a 20cm cake tin, or a 23cm x 12cm loaf tin with baking paper and pour the mixture evenly in to it.  Bake at 180C for 35-45 minutes in the cake tin, or 1 hour in the loaf tin, until a skewer pushed in to the middle comes out clean.

When cold store in an airtight container.  It's best left 24 hours before cutting but never lasts that long in our house.

1 comment Bread, Cakes, Kiwi Recipes, Vegetarian