I seriously enjoy a slice of Tea Loaf….AND I adore Earl Grey Tea!
My conclusion: Earl Grey Tea Loaf!
It isn’t a new concept or ingenious as such, but dagnabit, IT’S DELISH!
Growing up, I always fancied a tea party. Pretending to have tea with my best of friends (stuffed animals) and serving them a gorgeous and dainty tea cake or sandwiches with the crust cut off (of course) and asking them “how many lumps of sugar do you take, 1 lump or 2?” Â …. ahh I was rather posh in my own little world.
I never could have imagined that one day I would actually enjoy proper teas in England and Ireland and really be serving those dainty tea cakes and proper sandwiches….albeit, most of the time it was more like a tin of biscuits (cookies) …. but the tea was still lovely and I enjoyed those afternoon rituals that still motivate people the world over to get through the rest of their day 😉
You really don’t need to serve tea as the only accompanying drink, I find coffee to be AWESOME and therefore my drink of choice as my afternoon pick me up … well, anytime really.
The flavor of the Earl Grey Tea Loaf is honestly gorgeous! It’s dense, moist and the top of the loaf has a lovely slight sticky texture that only adds to the overall taste. There is also a matter of 2 Tablespoons of Orange Marmalade that really sets it off! I love the addition of oranges in so many things from savory to sweet and I’m pleased to say, I’m not at all disappointed with the outcome here. It’s a must added ingredient.
As for the Earl Grey Tea – it really does compliment the marmalade. Bergamot (oil derived from the Bergamot “orange/lemon”) is beautifully scented and is what gives Earl Grey Tea that classic aroma and flavor. Whenever I drink a cup of Earl Grey Tea , my first thoughts are of my mother … her favorite tea!
For the dried fruit, I used chopped dates. If you don’t like dates or don’t have them on hand, try substituting raisins. As for the marmalade, make sure to use a good flavored and quality marmalade.
This recipe is easy to prepare. I usually start the night before by soaking the dried fruit in a strong brewed cup of cooled Earl Grey Tea and cover it with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge overnight. The next day I’m ready to go with the rest of my ingredients and bake away, cool and it will keep for about a week covered in an airtight container. Oh I almost forgot to mention, it toast really well and is lovely with a bit of butter slathered over it … oh yes, breakfast treat!!!
So please just promise me one thing, that you won’t forget to stick that pinky finger out when enjoying your afternoon cup of tea and Earl Grey Tea Loaf 😉
Earl Grey Tea Loaf
Ingredients
- 1 cup Earl Grey Tea cooled
- 8 oz Dates chopped
- 1 cup Self Rising Flour
- ½ cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 2 heaping Tbls Orange Marmalade
Instructions
- In a small bowl pour the Earl Grey Tea over the chopped Dates, cover and refrigerate overnight or at least for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven 350F. Grease loaf pan.
- In large bowl, mix well together the Flour, Sugar, Egg and Marmalade.
- Add the Tea and Dates and combine well. Batter will be slightly runny.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake at 350F for 50 - 60 min or until knife or skewer inserted come out clean.
- Cool 5 - 10 minutes and remove from pan.
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