(Yorkshire) Tea Bread

I didn’t make this with Yorkshire Tea, but I am based in Yorkshire so there shouldn’t be a problem with the authorities, should they get in touch. Some good news; after a couple of years of grafting, I’m pleased to report that I’ve been given a place on a funded PhD! It’s a joint project between the University of Leicester and the National Maritime Museum and I am so very, very excited. Did I mention it’s on prison hulks? It’s on prison hulks. It’s got to be the coolest topic in the world, am I right? There’s this stupid little children’s book called “Victorian Crime” that I bought in a charity shop in Hebden Bridge during my home-schooling years; it’s full of amazing pictures and snippets of kids on hulks or getting hauled in by the police and I was completely obsessed with it. From there, I went on to a phase devouring Newgate novels, followed by an adoration of a series of books written by Andrew Pepper about an ex-Bow Street Runner called Pyke. This whole PhD project is just filling my head with stories but I really can’t wait to get back to some proper academic work. 

I’ve felt a bit downhearted the last few years; I got decent marks at university but they never pushed me over into an overall first or distinction, which meant I never qualified for funding. This made me think I wasn’t good enough, even though I base my whole existence around expanding my knowledge. So this means an awful lot and I can’t wait to see what the next few years bring!

Back to the Tea Bread. I love anything that uses up old ingredients. It needs to be prepared overnight but the recipe then takes minutes to prepare in the morning. I made it for a long car journey as we were off to Leicester to flat hunt. Did I mention I’m moving? PhD? Anyone?

Ingredients:

1 mugful of cold black tea (mine was hot, who cares)

200g mixed dried fruit (I use 100g of raisins/sultanas as a starting point, then make up the next 100g with a mixture of cherries, chopped dates, chopped prunes etc.)

200g self raising flour

100g light brown (or dark) sugar

½ teaspoon each ground ginger and mixed spice

1 large egg

2 tbsps marmalade.

Method:

1.  Before you go to bed, boil the kettle and brew a cup of tea (no milk, you silly). Gather your collection of fruit and plonk it in a bowl; as you can see, this is a great recipe for finally getting rid of crusty dried fruit you’ve regretted buying since 2005. Pour over the tea, cover with cling film and leave overnight to soak. 


In the morning, prepare a 1lb loaf tin by lining/greasing/both and preheat the oven to 180°C. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and spices before tipping in the soaked fruit- keep any liquid back if it’s swimming. 


Stir in the egg and marmalade (note the opportunity to also ditch any below-par marmalade you have kicking about).  If the mixture is too dry (it shouldn’t be) add a spoonful or so of any remaining tea liquor or milk. It will be a wet mixture, sloppier than a cake mix but not runny. 


Tip the mixture into your prepared tin and bake in the middle of the oven for one hour, or until a skewer comes out clean.  


Leave to cool in the tin and of course, serve spread with butter.