West Cumberland Tea Bread Recipes

WEST CUMBERLAND TEA BREAD

Steps:

• The day before you bake the tea bread place the mixed dried fruit into your mixing bowl and cover with the tea. Soak the fruit overnight.
• The next day add all the other ingredients to the soaked fruit and mix well.
• Pour the mixture into a greased and lined 2lb loaf tin and bake in the top oven of the Aga with the grid shelf on the oven floor and the cold plain shelf above for about 1 hour but check after about 45 minutes. A skewer inserted should come out clean.
• Turn the tea bread out onto a baking rack to cool.
• Serve sliced and buttered (optional) with a cuppa.
• For conventional ovens the temperatures are gas mark 3 or 170 degrees centigrade and cooking time will probably be 1 hour 15 mins to 1 hour 30 minutes.

LAVENDER TEA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• Combine the milk and lavender in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat to a simmer, then remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg until the mixture is light and fluffy. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk and lavender until just blended. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a wooden pick inserted into the crown of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

TEA BREAD

Steps:

• Put the dried fruit into a bowl and pour the tea over, cover and leave overnight (not in the fridge).
• After overnight soaking..Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4. Line or grease a 2lb loaf tin.
• I use a loaf liner for ease
• Sieve the flour into a bowl and add spice if using. Pour over soaked fruit and any juices (remove teabag if using!).
• Add egg and stir well with wooden spoon until all mixed up.
• Spoon into prepared tin and if wished sprinkle over 1tsp of sugar (you don't have to but it gives it a nice crunch and it is only 1tsp!!).
• Put into oven and bake for about an hour, maybe a little more depending on your oven.
• When cooked through, remove from oven and cool on a rack.
• EAT!!! Lovely with butter spread on it. I know that defeats it being fat free but hey ho!!

BLUEBERRY TEA BREAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in blueberries and orange zest. In another bowl, beat eggs; add milk and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour into a greased 9x5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with cream cheese if desired.