Mum’s tea brack

Since I have a recipe from my Dad in this month’s newsletter, I thought I would include a boat-friendly family recipe of Mum’s. She remembers her mother making it when she was growing up.

We called it “fruit loaf”, although the only fruit is raisins. Mum made it several times a week, often putting a slice in our school lunches, and a loaf came on every picnic. I can still see my Dad, a true butter-lover, eating his with a thick layer of butter slathered on top. I recently found out it’s generally called Irish Tea Brack, and other recipes include mixed fruit, dates, prunes, lemon zest and even substituting 2 tablespoons of Irish Whiskey for some of the tea. I must try that! Many recipes don’t have any sugar added, relying on the fruit for sweetness.

It’s a simple recipe that Mum was able to recall decades after she stopped making it, because as she said, “it has one of everything”. You probably have the ingredients on your boat, so you can make it anytime.

• 1 cup raisins
• 1 tsp (rounded) baking soda
• cold strong tea (enough to cover the raisins)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sugar (I just use 1/2 cup)
• a pinch of salt
• 1 cup flour

The night before, make a pot of strong tea. Put the raisins in a bowl and sprinkle them with baking soda. Enjoy a cup of tea. Pour the remaining tea, when cooled, over the raisins and baking soda to just cover all the raisins. Allow it to soak overnight, or for several hours if you want to make it all in one day. The raisins will plump up.

In another bowl combine the egg, sugar and salt. Add this to the raisin/tea mixture.
Fold in the flour, stirring to combine. It will be a wet batter texture, not a doughy one. I occasionally add some chopped walnuts or pecans, but Mum never did.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Its delicious warm and buttered, with a crispy crust and a moist sweet inside.