The Thompson's Tea Loaf by Paula McIntyre

This tasty tea loaf was made in front of a live audience by local chef Paula McIntyre in the Food NI Pavilion at the Balmoral Show 2017. It went down a treat! Here’s how you make it…

The Thompson’s Tea Loaf was made in front of a live audience by local celebrity chef Paula McIntyre in the Food NI Pavilion at the Balmoral Show 2017. It went down a treat! Here’s how you make it…

 INGREDIENTS

• 375g dried fruit (I use a mixture of raisins, sultanas, figs, apricots and cranberries)
• 50g soft brown sugar
• 150ml hot Punjana tea
• 50g chopped mixed nuts
• 1 large egg
• 225g self-raising flour
• 25ml buttermilk

METHOD

• Add the sugar to the hot Thompson’s tea and allow to dissolve.
• Place fruit in a bowl and add the tea. Cover and leave overnight to soak.
  (Chop larger fruit like figs and apricots if using them)
• Line a cake tin with parchment paper and set oven to 170°C.
• Whisk the egg and mix into the fruit mixture. Sift in the flour and mix well. Add the buttermilk and mix well.
• Spoon into the tin and bake for about an hour, in the middle of the oven, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
• Leave in tin for 10 minutes then turn into a wire rack to cool.