Cardamom and Sultana Tea Loaf

A Tasty Tea- Time Treat

This loaf is very easy to make, but requires a little forward planning as you have to soak the fruit in the teas over night. It's packed full of plump fruit with a nice whiff of cardamom- and it's fat free! The recipe is based on a loaf from the Good Food 2012 calendar, but I've altered the amount of sugar as I found it a bit too sweet, and changed the tea flavour.

Ingredients:
250g sultanas
100g mixed peel
120g light muscovado sugar
300ml cardamom tea, with around five pods bashed and flung in (I used 2 tblsp of loose leaf, but you could use 2 bags of any tea)
300g self raising flour
1 large egg, beaten
a little oil for greasing- or, to make it really fat free, I used a silicone loaf tin

Method:
- place the fruit, peel and sugar in to a bowl and pour over the hot tea. Stir well and leave to soak in over night.
- the next day, heat the oven to gas mark 2/ 150C. Line a tin if you don't have a silicone one.
- remove the pods if you can locate them (hopefully!) then stir in the flour and egg until well combined. Scoop in to the tin, level the surface and bung in the oven for 1 1/2- 1 3/4 hours. Check if it's done with a skewer. It should have risen, too.
- cool for 10 mins then remove to a wire rack. Put the kettle on. Slice and spread with butter (sorry, not fat free) and enjoy with a cuppa.

It freezes really well, and will keep for a good 5 days in an airtight container.