Irish Tea Bread

Description
Irish Tea Bread (original name: Brack Irish Tea Bread) is a moist, dense fruit cake. It's best served sliced thinly with butter and eaten before it has cooled down.



Ingredients

 * 12 tablespoons strong tea
 * 1 cup hot water
 * 1 lb mixed dried fruit
 * 6 oz brown sugar
 * 1 egg, lightly beaten
 * 1 oz melted butter
 * 9 oz all-purpose flour
 * 1/2 tablespoon bicarbonate of soda

Directions
For the mixed fruit, you can use raisins, currants and any other dried fruit. Chop fruit to raisin-size pieaces. Brew tea in hot water. In a bowl, combine tea and mixed fruit. Leave to soak for at least 2 hours (soaking overnight is best). Preheat oven to 360°F (175°C). Add Sugar, egg and melted butter to the tea and fruit mixture. Sieve the flour and bicarbonate of soda and fold mixture in. Line bottom of loaf pan with baking parchment or greaseproof paper. Pour mixture in loaf pan and smoothen the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from pan. Cool, or serve warm. Serves 4.