Irish Tea Loaf

t33

Talking about authentic recipes is always a minefield, so apologies in advance.  And I realise 'authentic' is also a tricky concept.  However, I've had a handed down tea loaf recipe for ages but have noticed lately that it's somehow not as good as I remember it or my tastebuds have changed perhaps.  Mine is quite a simple one, without peel, spices, cream, butter etc which feature in the many hundreds of variations I've found.  I've tried a few I've found and find them took complicated or something.  I do actually prefer the simpler versions with fewer ingredients and 'twists'.

Anyway, it got me to wondering if anyone had an old Irish cookbook or a handed down recipe they'd kindly share.

Thanks.

DullGreyGuy

Have a handed down recipe for one somewhere but never tasted like I remember the one my gran used to make (whose recipe it is recorded). But she was blind as a bat and never measured anything so the measurements are one of her daughters estimating what their mum/my gran had put in. She was also one to wing it a little so whilst she'd say the recipe was fixed I've seen her make substitutions. Will post it if I come across it. 

She did also used to do "Irish Stuffing" which was potato based, never got the recipe and it was another that the daughters didn't record well. 

ArbitraryRandom

I don't know where it came from, but my Nan was Irish so could be... but it does have fruit (she used whatever was in the cupboard). 

1 cup cold black tea (an actual kitchen cup, so if you wanted to measure I'd say about 300ml) 
8 ounces mixed dried fruit
8 ounces self-rising flour
4 ounces white sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons marmalade (again actual spoons, so probably more like 3 or 4 measured as they wouldn't be flat)

Nan was always quite firm it needed to be yorkshire tea, and you had to soak the fruit overnight. She also liked thick cut marmalade. Quite simple - just mix the flour and sugar, then the egg and marmalade, then add the fruit and tea. 

JIL

My mother in law used to use the leftover tea in the teapot and add a little whiskey to soak fruit overnight to make her tea loaf.

She would soak dried fruit 8 oz fruit with just over a half pint liquid overnight. ( I think the mug full mentioned earlier is probably a good measure)
The following day, mixing in 8oz self raising flour, a tablespoon of treacle, a big teaspoon of mixed spice, an egg and 2 big spoons of sugar.

Mixed it all together and put it into a greased loaf tin. Baked for an hour at 170.

Sometimes she put ginger in, sometimes orange juice. It was always popular but not as popular as her soda bread.

She is now nearly 90 and has dementia, I make her and father in law some soda bread regularly from her recipe. Which must be good as she tells people she made it that morning.

I may have a go at the tealoaf. Thankyou for the idea from your thread.

Wraithlady

I have a cookbook from the 70's (I collect them) and the recipe for 'Irish Brack' is pretty much as above apart from it doesn't include treacle (and I'm not sure about the spices)

t33

Thanks for responses.  It seems we are all talking roughly the same basic ingredients (with some recipes having some frills).  I do prefer the basic, but am intrigued with the marmalade, I can see that being a nice addition for a variation and will give it a try. 

ArbitraryRandom

I was thinking the same about trying my nan's recipe with a drop of whiskey/brandy  

JIL

I have my fruit soaking in tea overnight with mixed dried fruit dated bb August 23. Maybe I should put alcohol in to kill any nasties.

I have a no knead bread mix in a second bowl. The kitchen should smell nice tomorrow 

JIL

I know it's not tea loaf but I use this recipe often and it is very good. I just mix all ingredients together with a mixer, add the fruit and bake in a loaf tin for 50 mins.

The see note was just a suggestion of fruit. Butter being cubed and sugar says brown gives a darker colour.

Rosa_Damascena

Thanks @JIL . The price of soft brown sugar (not demerara) is quite high atm, 50% above the low (have just checked on Trolley). Will stock up if it ever gets near the £3.40/kg mark.