Ingredients
Sponge
175 g/ 6 oz/ ¾ of cup butter, softened
100 g/ 3½ oz of light muscovite sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
225 g/ 8 oz of dark chocolate chips
100 g/ 3½ oz/ ½ cup of raisins
50 g/ 1¾ oz/ ½ cup of chopped walnuts
finely grated rind of 1 orange
225 g/ 8 oz/ 2 cups of self-raising flour
Preparation
- Lightly grease a 900 g/ 2 lb loaf tin (pan) and line the base with baking parchment.
- Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition.
- If the mixture begins to curdle, beat in 1-2 tablespoons of the flour.
- Stir in the chocolate chips, raisins, walnuts and orange rind.
- Sieve (strain) the flour and carefully fold it into the mixture.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin (pan) and make a slight dip in the centre of the top with the back of a spoon.
- Bake in a preheated the oven, 170°C/ 325°F/ Gas Mark 3, for 1 hour or until a fine skewer inserted into the centre of
the loaf comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin (pan) for 5 minutes, before carefully turning out and leaving on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve the tea bread cut 0 into thin slices.
Baking Tips and Ideas
- Use white or milk chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate chips, are mixture of all three, if-desired.
- Dried cranberries instead of the raisins also work well in this recipe.
- This tea bread can be frozen, well wrapped, for tip to 3 months.
- Defrost at room temperature.
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