Food with passion: Old Fashioned Irish Tea-Brack
John Paul Kennedy is a self-taught cook and an avid fan of collecting cookery books with a passion for good old-fashioned home cooking.
His passion for proper family cooking stems from his TWO Grandmothers, who were both excellent cooks, one of whom was a trained chef.
JP promises to bring us plenty of family-inspired recipes and tasty treats while showing us how to get the basics right.
This is a great old traditional Irish recipe but one I’ve not made in years.
This was one of my mothers absolute favourite cakes to eat and recently I had cause to revisit the recipe when I invited my two aunts for Lunch (her two beloved sisters) and I wanted to bake for each of them to takeaway as a gift!
I always adored the smell of this loaf baking, it’s better than any scented candle, oh boy was I reminded of that incredible smell when I baked two loaves for my aunts.
Delicious smeared with real Irish butter with a cup of tea and the great thing is, this loaf will last for up to two weeks, so it won’t go to waste.
Ingredients: (Makes 1 Loaf)
- 350g dried mixed fruit
- 300ml of cold tea
- 120g castor sugar
- 1 egg beaten
- 250g plain flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 2 teaspoons of mixed spice
Method:
- Place the dried fruits in a large mixing bowl with the cold tea and leave to soak overnight. I cover mine with a clean tea towel.
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl add the all of the dry ingredients, flour, mixed spice and baking powder and combine together. Add the sugar and beaten egg and mix together.
- Then add in the tea soaked fruits and any remaining tea into the bowl and mix together well.
- Tip into a greased 1 kg baking loaf tin and bake in the pre-heated oven for an hour.
- Allow to cool before slicing.
I love old fashioned nostalgic recipes like this one.
They are so simple to make but are classic recipes that stand the test of time.
I cannot express how incredible this cake smells as it bakes. It’s so inviting and comforting.
When I baked this a few weeks back; it brought a smile to my face as I could her my mother’s voice, exclaiming her excitement on arrival at mine; as she could smell tea brack baking.
It’s a memory I will treasure and one that I will continue to evoke for years to come.
This went down a storm with my aunts too who both text me to let me know how delicious it was!
Why not bake it for a loved one of yours?
This is the perfect cake to make coming up to Halloween, a tradition in many Irish homes is to hide small surprises like a coin or a ring inside the brack.
Just be sure to wrap them in cling film before baking to keep things safe and hygienic.
It adds a fun and festive twist that brings joy to both young and old!
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