Things I hated as a child that I like as an adult : long walks, cleaning, brown bread and tea brack.

Juicy, fruity, begging to be slathered in cold butter. A divine baked good of our nation, I’m sorry it didn’t grow on me sooner.

This recipe comes from Theodora Fitzgibbon, who preceded Myrtle Allen as the OG of Irish food.

This is a large recipe and makes two loaves. It uses 3 eggs, so is not easy to divide in half (seems like a hassle to me anyway) so I always make the full thing and either give one away or freeze the second half for my future self.

Ingredients

700ml freshly boiled water 

2 black tea bags (Lyons is my brand of choice)

450g raisins 

450g sultanas 

450g soft brown sugar 

3 eggs

450g plain flour 

3 level teaspoons baking powder 

3 level teaspoons mixed spice 

Directions

Soak the fruit the night before baking. Put the tea bags into the boiling hot water and leave to steep until very strong, about 10 minutes. 

Put the raisins, sultanas and sugar into a large bowl. Pour over the strong tea, stir to dissolve the sugar and then set aside to soak overnight. (If you can’t soak overnight, give it at least 2 hours). 

Preheat oven to 165°C. Grease and line two loaf tins, 12 x 22cm approx.

Beat the eggs into one bowl, sift the dry ingredients into a separate bowl. 

Stir some of the eggs into the fruit mixture, alternating with the dry ingredients until you have a smooth, fruit-studded batter. 

Pour half of the batter into each of the prepared loaf tins and bake for 60 – 90 minutes, until firm on top and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Timing will depend on your oven. 

Leave to cool before slicing.