Speckled Tea Bread (Bara Brith)
 
Recipe: Thermomix (The British Isles on a Plate)
Serves: 12 
Preparation: 10 minutes plus 8 hours steeping
Baking: 75 – 90 minutes
 
INGREDIENTS
 
Tea Bread
2 teabags (Earl Grey or Ceylon)
300 g boiling water
450 g dried mixed fruit
250 g light brown sugar
450 g self-raising flour
2 tsp mixed spice
1 large egg
 
Lemon Icing
60 g butter
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cups (329 g) icing sugar
 
To Decorate
flowers
sprigs of spekboom
sprigs of rosemary
mint leaves
 
METHOD
 
Tea Bread
Place the teabags in a large bowl then place bowl on mixing bowl lid. Weigh in the boiling water and allow to steep for 5 minutes.
Add dried fruit then remove bowl from lid and gently mix together. Cover with clingfilm and set aside to steep for 8 hours or overnight. Remove and discard the teabags from soak fruit.
Preheat the oven to 150 °C and line a large loaf tin (900 g) with baking paper.
Place sugar, flour, mixed spice and egg in mixing bowl then mix 10 sec/speed5.
Add the soaked dried fruit and juices then mix 15 sec/reverse/speed 4 (shredding ingredients without chopping them) while stirring with spatula through hole in mixing bowl lid.
Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin. Bake for 75 – 90 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean.
Leave in tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 
 
Lemon Icing
Using a wooden spoon, beat the butter and rind together in a small bowl, gradually beat in the juice and icing sugar.
Spread the icing on top of the tea bread and decorate with the flowers and greens.