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.
 * Serves 4

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
 * ½ tablespoon bicarbonate of soda

Directions

 * 1) For the mixed fruit, you can use raisins, currants and any other dried fruit.
 * 2) Chop fruit to raisin-size pieces.
 * 3) Brew tea in hot water.
 * 4) In a bowl, combine tea and mixed fruit.
 * 5) Leave to soak for at least 2 hours (soaking overnight is best).
 * 6) Preheat oven to 360°F (175°C).
 * 7) Add sugar, egg and melted butter to the tea and fruit mixture.
 * 8) Sieve the flour and bicarbonate of soda and fold mixture in.
 * 9) Line bottom of loaf pan with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.
 * 10) Pour mixture in loaf pan and smoothen the top.
 * 11) Bake for 1½ hours.
 * 12) Remove from pan.
 * 13) Cool, or serve warm.