Bonny Scotland,
St Andrew’s Day
and
Fruited Tea Loaf with Whisky
Celebrate Scotland’s Special Day
with
a Traditional Scottish Teatime Treat
St. Andrew’s Day falls on the 30th November, and in 2007, the St Andrew’s Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act was given royal assent, making the 30th of November an official bank holiday in Scotland; there’s another great reason to celebrate Scotland’s National Day!
Although very little is known about St Andrew and many tales and legends abound, we do know that he was a fisherman from Galilee and one of the apostles. In the middle of the tenth century Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland and several legends state that the relics of Andrew were brought under supernatural guidance from Constantinople to the place where the modern town of St Andrews stands today.
As St Andrew’s day is on the last day of November, it is closely associated with Advent, as well as many other winter customs and superstitions. One such superstition was for unmarried girls to pray for a husband to St Andrew at Midnight on the 29th November, the eve of St Andrew’s Day. Other girls, who wished to marry, would peel an apple on St Andrew’s Eve and throw the peel over their shoulders ~ if they were to marry, the peel would take the shape of the initial of the man they would wed! Alternatively, the lovelorn lassies would throw their shoes at a door ~ if the shoe pointed towards the door, they would marry and leave their parent’s home within the coming year!
Scotland is justifiably famous for its teatime table, and to celebrate Scotland’s special day I have shared a traditional teatime treat for you to make and enjoy, a delicious fruited tea loaf with whisky ~ especially welcome as the days shorten and the cold weather gradually creeps in. I have a BIG treat in store for you tomorrow, so watch out and make sure you haven’t eaten anything before you view what I have to share with you! See you later,
Karen
St Andrew’s Spiced and Fruited Tea Loaf
A fat-free classic tea loaf packed full of dried fruit, spices with a wee dram of Scotch whisky added for good measure! This is an adapted version of my grandmother’s recipe and is great when sliced (like bread) and buttered for teatime. I sometimes add chopped apricots, prunes or other assorted dried fruits for an extra fruity flavour. Makes 1 loaf.
INGREDIENTS:
450g/1 lb mixed dried fruit including mixed peel
50g/2ozs glace cherries, rinsed, dried and quartered
100g/4ozs soft brown sugar
150ml/1/4 pint hot tea
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons Scotch whisky
225g/8ozs self raising flour
1 to 2 teaspoons mixed spice
METHOD:
Soak the dried fruit, peel and cherries with the sugar in the hot tea the night before you wish to bake this tea loaf.
Pre-heat oven to 170C/350F/Gas 3. Grease and line a 1 lb loaf tin with baking paper.
Add the whisky to the beaten egg and pour it in to the soaked fruits. Then add the mixed spice to the flour and sift the spiced flour into the fruit mixture gradually, mixing well each time. If the mixture is too stiff, add a little milk.
Pour the tea loaf mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 1 to 1 ¼ hours, until the cake feels springy to the touch, has risen and is a rich golden brown.
Loosen the cake with a palette knife straight away and allow to cool slightly before removing from the tin and cooling on a wire rack. Store in an airtight tin for about a week. Can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Laura@howtocookgoodfood says
I was just thinking about tea loaves as it's my daughters school fair coming up and I wanted to make one for it. So, I shall use your recipe now!
Working london mummy says
love this – so packed full of delicious fruit and I do love glace cherries (even if full of sugar!) will be using this recipe for my next tea loaf.
Riverside Baking says
Been looking for something to bake today in honor of St Andrew and I think this will have to be it!
Great post
x
Inthesky says
This looks so good! It will be on my 'To Do' list 🙂
Kentish Keg-Meg says
This Tea loaf looks so moist and cannot wait to try it. Loved reading about the lassies throwing their shoe at a door.
Dom at Belleau Kitchen says
looks stunning and anything with whisky is good by me… and I adore your whisky glass!
Janice says
Well thank you for the St Andrew's Day wishes. Whilst it is 'officially' a holiday. Most people do not get or take this holiday, most people who were not at work today were on strike and the rest of us were working! As far as I know it is only schools that take the holiday despite what Alex Salmond says!
However, it is special for me as it is the day before my Dad's birthday. He is not with us any more but it helps me to remember him. Your tea loaf looks lovely and moist and delicious and a wee dram never did anyone any harm 😉
Lauren says
I'm sure glad I already have a husband and I don't have to rely on the vagaries of apple peels! I guess a C would have been easy enough, but a P? Is it the first or last initial? Anyway… 🙂
The tea loaf looks delicious–I've never had a fruit cake that didn't have at least some butter in it before. I feel like I'm missing out! I love baked goods with dried fruit (and whisky!).