… it seems that London has turned into a quagmire of excitable children and very bemused and tired looking parents being hauled around the city. The half-term holidays in the UK seems to produce this panic-inducing disease of madness that descends on a city that is just working out its routine after the Christmas break. Those frenetic but free-flowing streams of determined commuters have been disrupted by the giant pebble of kids and no body is happy… during any other week in the year I can drag my tired arse up from the tube station, along St Martin’s Lane, into my favourite coffee shop and on auto-pilot make my way to my desk, gently readying myself for the day ahead. Not this week. This week I’ve had to fight from way too early for any normal kid to be in town until way too late for sensible parents to allow their kids in town… it must stop now.
toasted tea cakes
there’s something about the aroma of cinnamon and candied fruit baking in the oven that not only makes the whole house smell incredible but that is also so utterly reminiscent of Easter even though you get the same sweet scents at Christmas too… and that scent seems to be everywhere right now so that every corner you turn you’re tempted by the thoughts of toasted goodness. It is quite remarkable we make it home without putting on stupid amounts of weight. Of course toasted tea cakes are not exclusive to Easter, they’re a tearoom staple up and down the country taking the place of the scone during colder months which, if you ask me, is a wondrous thing…
500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
60g caster sugar
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 sachet fast action dried yeast
50g unsalted butter – room temp
300ml water
200g mixed fried fruit and peel
1 beaten egg for glazing
line 2 baking trays with baking parchment.
pour a little vegetable oil on your work surface and then tip the dough onto it and knead for 8 minutes or so until the dough is soft and silky.
tip the mixed fruit on top of the risen dough in the bowl and start working them into it. After a minute or two, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the fruit is thoroughly mixed in.
divide the dough into 8 pieces. Shape each into a ball then flatten with your hand and brush the teacakes with the beaten egg. Place them onto the baking trays, cover in some lightly oiled cling film and let them rest and rise for another half an hour whilst you pre-heat your oven to 200C
bake for 10-15 minutes until risen and golden and then cool on a wire rack
I am fascinated by these tea cakes! I am a baker at heart and wish we had these in the states. Toasted with lots of butter looks pretty amazing! What kind of fruit did you use? Also the mixed spice – is that a cinnamon, nutmeg mixture? Thanks!
hey Tricia, yes, I guess my ingredients is vague… the mixed spice is actually called 'mixed spice' and has ginger, cinnamon etc but as long as you include cinnamon you could use whatever you like… as far as the mixed fruit, again it was one of those premixed packs with sultanas, raisins and orange peel but as long as you have peel and some kind of currant you should have that authentic taste! Hope this helps!
Toasted tea cakes are one of my absolute favourite treats.
There's nothing quite like them when you come indoors a cold and miserable afternoon. Many times recently I have thought to myself “it's a toasted teacake day” while I was out with the dog and fighting my way through the freezing drizzle. Yum !!
How did you know – I have been craving toasted tea cakes all day – comfort food warm and toasty in damp weather. I have planned to make some this Saturday. Great minds think alike.
Take care
Pattypan
x
These are absolutely delicious, I've been craving teacakes for a long time, your teacakes look amazing.
I've never heard of teacakes but they have to be great, wish I had one! Thanks for the recipe!
Oh dear. My apologies, Dom, for adding to the tide of children in your way. Although to be fair, we haven't been in your neck of the woods, and instead of teacakes we've been enjoying Bread Ahead doughnuts… Never made teacakes before – might be tempted once we get back to the sticks…
How lovely! I am ABSOLUTELY making these this weekend, Dom. What type of mixed fruit do you put in yours, Dom? I have raisins, cranberries, dates, apricots, currants, prunes. Do nuts evermake their way into the mix?
You know the old Rich Fruit Cake with Wensleydale Cheese combo? Try having a toasted Teacake with a slice of Cheddar on it… Magic.
Can't think when I last had a toasted teacake. Must make a batch very soon. I'm afraid I will become addicted!
The tea cakes look delicious, but your beautiful plate is what is really attracting my attention!
Spring is definitely in the air if toasted tea cakes are making an appearance. I usually associate it with Easter in the spring. Now I can't wait to have some after seeing these x
THANKS so much for making my FAVOURITE bread cake, I adore tea cakes, or teasted toecakes as my dad calls them, and yours look STUNNING Dom! Karen xxx
Oh my! Dom! These look frickin' gorgeous- I was figuring out what to bake this afternoon. NOW I KNOW!
Teacakes are delicious! Always! London with kids in half term is not! Ever! As one who knows…. half term is almost always a pain in the arse!!!
I sense a couple of batches of these coming on for Easter! I can smell them from here!
Oh no, not a good week then. Hope this one proves to be better. Surely these toasted teacakes helped jolly you along – nothing quite beats one, hot and slathered in butter and home made are even better. Yours look super scrumptious.
Half term is a knightmare for me, my day job becomes an ancillary for badly behaved kids that are literally left alone to do as they please as the parents skip along merrily in there own little world leaving me to clean up after there little darlings. If I had the opportunity I would frisbee teacakes at them! not before taking a bite of course.
I love a tea cake Dom, at any time. They always take me back to my childhood. I love the slathering of butter on yours 🙂
Looks amazing Dominic. Well, that's something we used to see from you 🙂