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Apricot Tea Bread
A rich and fruity tea bread packed full of delicious apricots and other dried fruits and oh so easy to make.
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 measuring jug
- Measuring spoons
- weighing scales
- scissors
- Lemon zester or grater
- Whisk or fork
- spoon
- 900g/2lb loaf tin (pan)
- baking parcment or loaf tin liner
- Skewer
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 350 grams mixture of dried apricots and other dried fruit such as raisins and sultanas (golden raisins) Minimum 175 grams (1¼ cups) dried apricots
- 225 grams light or dark muscovado sugar
- 300 millilitres hot black tea
- 275 grams self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon orange zest alternately use lemon zest
- 1 large egg beaten
Instructions
- Cut the dried apricots into quarters, I find a pair of scissors is the best way to do this, although you can use a knife. Place them in a bowl with the rest of the dried fruit to a total weight of 350 grams (2⅓ cups)
- Put 225 grams (1¼ cups) light brown sugar into the bowl with the dried fruit.
- Make 300 ml (1¼ cups) of strong black tea and pour it over the dried fruit and sugar. Preferably leave it overnight to soak up the tea, but if you don't have time, leave it for at least 2 hours.
- Heat the oven to 150℃/130℃fan/300℉
- Add 1 teaspoon of orange zest (I used a clementine).
- Break 1 large egg into a bowl or jug and whisk it. Then add to the fruit and tea mixture. If you only have a medium egg then that's okay, this tea bread is very forgiving.
- Add the 275 grams (1¼ cups) self-raising flour to the bowl.
- Mix all the ingredients together with a spoon.
- Line a 900g/2lb loaf tin (pan) with baking parchment or use a loaf tin liner.
- Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and smooth the top.
- Bake for 1¼ to 1½ hrs or until the loaf is well risen, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean
- Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
- Peel off the baking paper or liner and serve sliced.
Notes
I find that this tea bread is best made with a mixture of dried apricots and other dried fruit such as raisins, sultanas (golden raisins) dried cranberries or dried cherries. Always ensure that dried apricots make up at least half of the total quanity of dried fruit.
Nutrition
Calories: 297kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 5gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 19mgPotassium: 335mgFiber: 3gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 28IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg