Its Fairtrade Fortnight and as Clipper is the biggest Fairtrade tea brand in the world, we couldn’t miss the event and the occasion to shout about their ethical credentials!
Our friends at Clipper sent us the perfect recipe for a tea loaf made with Clipper’s very own Dorset made tea! This popular bake is ideal for whipping up to take to cake sales or as a treat.
Ingredients:
- 8 Clipper tea bags ( Everyday Fairtrade Black Tea)
- 300ml (10fl oz) boiling water
- 500g (18oz) mixed dried fruit
- 500g (18oz) self-raising flour
- 325g (11.5oz) Organic butter or margarine
- 250g (9oz) caster sugar ( Fairtrade)
- 2tsp ground mixed spice
- 5 Free Range Organic eggs
- 1tsp salt
Don’t forget, you can pick up eggs at one of our dairies and find spices here.
Method:
Place the Clipper tea bags in a large bowl and add the boiling water. Stir to make a very strong tea then add the mixed dried fruit and stir well, leave to soak until the liquid is cold. If you leave the fruit to soak overnight this will impart more of the tea flavour to the fruit.
Once cool, remove the Clipper tea bags, give the fruit a stir and then put to one side.
Pre-heat your oven to 175°C (155°C fan, 340°F, gas mark 3–4) then grease and line a 23cm (9”) springform cake tin.
Place the flour and butter or margarine in a large bowl and use your fingers to rub the fat into the flour until evenly distributed and the mix looks like breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar and mixed spice, then stir well.
Add the eggs and the soaked fruit, along with any remaining liquid and stir until evenly combined.
Pour the mixture into your cake tin and level the top, place in the oven and bake for around an hour or until the cake is risen, golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
If you fancy something a little sweeter, you can whip up a drizzle icing or add some zest/nuts to decorate your loaf.
Enjoy with a Fairtrade cuppa!
