Yorkshire Teabread

A traditional fruit loaf with the addition of a wee dram of whiskey...

A little old fashioned nowadays maybe - but some recipes are worth keeping alive, and this is one of them. Traditionally this was eaten sliced and loaded with butter and accompanied by a good old cup of tea. The secret to this loaf is the soaking of the fruit overnight in cold tea. I've added a couple of extra ingredients just to jazz it up a bit. The addition of the whiskey is a personal nod to us Yorkshire folk drinking tea with a splash of whiskey in it to keep the cold out in Winter. 

Ingredients

350ml freshly made strong black tea
375g mixed dried fruit
A good splosh of whiskey (optional)
A couple of pieces of fresh orange peel

Place all the above in a large bowl and leave to soak overnight. The fruit will become plump and soak up a lot of the liquid.

Egg replacer made up to two egg value (I used Orgran)
200g brown sugar
280g self raising flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)

Preheat your oven to 160C. Grease and line a loaf tin.​

Remove the orange peel from the fruit and add the sugar, egg replacer and the spices. Use a large spoon to combine the ingredients well. Sieve in the flour and once again, combine the ingredients in a folding motion until all the flour is incorporated. Pour the mixture into your lined loaf tin and place in the middle of the oven. 

Bake for at least an hour. Test using a wooden skewer inserted in the middle of the loaf. If it comes out clean, then it's done. Leave for another ten or so minutes if you need to. Allow to cool before slicing, buttering and enjoying with a good strong cuppa! If you have the patience - leaving it for a day or two wrapped in baking paper and foil will give you a sticky, absolutely heavenly teabread.