This is a slight adaptation of a recipe from the Good Housekeeping cookbook. It actually works well with either white or wholemeal flour - unusually, there doesn't seem to be need to adjust the liquid quantities, possibly because of the relatively small proportion of flour. I've not tried it without the soya flour mixture (which is of course an egg replacement), but I see no reason why it shouldn't work. The given proportions of dried fruits can be replaced with 350g (12oz) of any mixture of dried fruits.
Makes about 20 pieces
Put the dried fruit and sugar in a large bowl. Pour over the tea, mix well, and soak overnight or for at least 7 hours.
The next day, grease a 1.1 litre (2 pint) loaf tin or rectangular cake tin (I prefer the shape given by the cake tin, also you get less crust) and line it with greaseproof paper.
Add the soya flour mixture, the flour, baking powder and mixed spice to the fruit and tea mixture. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are evenly combined. Spoon into the prepared tin and level the surface.
Bake at Gas Mark 4 (180C, 350F) for about 1 1/4 hours or until teabread is risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out mostly clean.
Turn out of the tin, peel off the greaseproof paper and cool on a wire rack. Wrap in more greaseproof paper and then foil; store in an airtight container for 1 or 2 days before eating. Keeps well if you are sure to re-wrap after cutting off a piece.
Kake's (Vegan) Cookery Site - http://www.earth.li/~kake/cookery/
This page added 7 Nov 2000
- comments and questions to
Kake L Pugh (kake@earth.li).