First of all, a big thank you to you all for your tremendous support through my “technical glitch”. I know I am not the most techy person in the world, but I don´t think I´m quite a dinosaur yet, so it was a huge pain. Anyway, I think I am almost caught up on my “re-subscribing” but please do remind me if you don´t see me on your blog if you normally do.
So, back to the food! When you are staying with a pal, especially one who needs to take a lot of naps, you get plenty of time to have a good look through the cookery books that they have and you don´t. You also get to rummage through their cupboards working out if they have the ingredients to hand to make something which has inspired you.
This was one such recipe which came from the book, The Great British Bake Off. The final (optional) step comes from the recovering pal herself who very kindly e-mailed me the recipe as I forgot to write it down before I left for home! I think I was particularly attracted to this recipe as you melt the butter and sugar together rather than cream it, so I think I could adapt this to using olive oil in Spain as butter is harder to buy and keep fresh Up the Mountain.
Ingredients (makes 1 large loaf cake)
- 175g unsalted butter
- 150g caster sugar
- 400g plain flour
- Good pinch of salt
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 300g luxury dried fruit mix (I used half sultanas which I had soaked in a small cup of Earl Grey tea and half dried apricots which I finely chopped)
- 125ml full-fat or semi-skimmed milk at room temp
- 2 large eggs at room temp
1 x 900g loaf tin, about 26 x 12.5 x 7.5cm, greased and lined with greaseproof paper.
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Put the butter and sugar into a medium sized pan and heat gently, stirring occasionally until the butter has melted.
- Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a mixing bowl and stir in the dried fruit. Beat together the milk and eggs until thoroughly combined, then pour into the flour mixture. Add the melted butter and mix well with a wooden spoon.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and spread evenly. Bake for about 1 hour or until the top is a good golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove the tin from the oven and set on a wire rack. Leave to cool for 20 minutes, then gently turn out the loaf onto the rack and leave to cool completely.
- Wrap in foil or greaseproof paper and keep for 24 hours before cutting. (We ignored this and tucked right in). It´s lovely sliced and spread with butter.
- Serve to people visiting slightly bemused woman fresh out of hospital wondering what on earth is going on.
Chica Andaluza 
Back to the food indeed. This looks great!
It went down well!
I love baking recipes that use melted butter, as I always forget to take it out of the ‘fridge to get soft enough to cream. Hey, and I really like those canisters!
Yes, me too – never organised enough. Mind you, it´s so hot here right now I think it would melt even without being put on the stove top! Those canisters are great…they wouldn´t fit in my suitcase as I did consider trying to pinch them 😉
Yuuuuurrrmmmm!! 😀 Toast it, butter it, let it melt in your mouth! 😀
Perfect with a cup of coffee!
you had a glitch,, I missed that.. just as well as i usually AM the glitch! Love this loaf, i am a sucker for sultanas! c
No, you were not the glitch – WordPress was!
Fantastic. I love cut and eat loaves. And this has everything I always have in the house. We’ve just finished one made with marmalade which was yummy. Now need to get baking again.
Ooh a marmalade loaf sounds good and I still have a few jars of the stuff lurking in the larder!
Great at least you solved your glitch
Yes, all sorted!
I can’t believe you put number 5 in!! x
I took a word out though!
Ah yes, just been back to check which word that was …….!!
Your friend is very fortunate to have you in her life, Tanya. You were raised right. 🙂
This is one good looking loaf that you made. I bet it’s perfect when warmed with a bit of butter. It would have a very short shelf-life around here — and I’m not talking about Max.
Ah, thanks John! And yes, it´s the kind of loaf that doesn´t hang around for long! But I would always save Max a little slice…. 😉
This is a blast from the past – I’ve not made tea loaf for 20yrs! I used to love them. I used to soak the dried fruit overnight. Deliciossss
Do you remember Malt Loaf from the UK? I used to love that thickly spread with butter!
Oh please don’t! I loved Malt Loaf 🙂
Oooo soaking the sultanas in earl grey tea. Very good idea – wonder how that would dolly up currants? Need to check that as I have an abundance of currants lurking in the pantry. Amongst other things!
I expect it would be great with any dried fruit!
Looks yummy! If you ever visit, good thing I don’t take naps. I fear you would find nothing to cook or bake in my kitchen. But it might be fun to see what you can whip up with little to no ingredients.
It would be like “Ready, Steady, Cook”!
‘Luxury dreid fruit?’ I love that… 😉
This looks like a total winner, and I’d love to hear how it works out with the olive oil!
Will let you know! A little luxury eh…always fun!
That’s a wonderfully fortifying loaf 😉
I think it had magical healing qualities 😉
That looks wonderful. I wish ‘malt loaf’ hadn’t been mentioned though – I have been diving all day today and have come home ravenous. I could just see off a malt loaf and butter. The fruit bowl just isn’t going to cut it. 😦
It does stick to your ribs and fill you up doesn´t it! Diving, what fun 🙂
I know that your friend enjoyed your help and friendship. And to top it off, yummy food. The cake, the chicken, the soup…all things to make one feel better.
Food and friendship are both great healers!
Aaah, one of the best things about British tea-times… cucumber sandwiches and a few good slices of tea loaf/tea bread. My grandmother used to make one every time we went over for tea. I haven’t actually had one in years now I think about it 😦
Ooh yes, cucumber sandwiches…forgot how good they can be!
I wish I had friends like you!!! You really pamper your friends!! Great looking Loaf!!!
Ah, thank you! Well, we have to pamper those we love and appreciate 🙂
Hola Tanya!
Con lo atrasada que voy con la lectura de los blogs que sigo, no me había dado cuenta de tu problemilla con las suscripciones, por eso me llamó tanto la atención que tu comentario en mi último post tuviese que ser aprobado antes de publicarse… ¡Ahora lo entiendo todo!
Me alegro que las cosas se vayan solucionando 🙂
La receta de este pan suena genial y es verdad que el toque de fundir mantequilla y azúcar juntos debe ser especial. Otra receta más para mi lista 🙂
Era una pena, pero todo solucionado ahora!
That looks just the ticket for someone recovering…couple it with a nice mug of tea and you have something that Florence Nightingale would be proud to bestow upon her recovering subjects…well done and it does look like you could use olive oil in this recipe. Give it a go and let us know if it works 🙂
I will try it with olive oil soon…so will keep you posted!
Love that book. Haven’t made this recipe. Think I might have to remedy that!
I am probably going to treat myself to the book in the summer!
There are two from the series. I have both and they are both brilliant!
Ooh, will look out for them both then!
Ooh, I can almost taste that with a nice cup of tea.
🙂 Mandy
It´s perfect with tea!
This is amazing! I got hungry just by looking at your post! =)
Ah, glad you liked it!
This looks like a lovely loaf for toasting. I’ll try this today (with the fruits you suggested) and we’ll have it for breakfast tomorrow. (though there will be a couple slices missing by then.)
The world would be a happier place if everyone had a friend like you Tanya.
Ah thanks Spree! And I do hope you enjoy the loaf….and testing it in advance before breakfast is a wise move indeed 🙂