Recipe of the week | Chai tea!

Recipe | Chai Tea Bread

I made two flatter loaves so I could take one to work!

A new tea bread recipe is always welcome. And one from a "Light Cakes and Desserts" recipe book! And only 302 calories per serving (if you take a whole slice)! Let me know how you find it!

Serves: 10
Preparation time: 15 minutes plus standing
Cooking time: 1 1/4 hours

Ingredients:
5 Chai tea bags
300mls (1/2 pint) Boiling water
250g Self-raising flour
1 teaspoon Baking powder
150g Light Muscovado sugar
300g Mixed dried fruit
50g Brazil nuts, chopped
1 Egg, beaten

Method:
1)  Preheat oven to 160oC/140oCFan/325oF/Gas Mark 3 and grease and
     line a 1kg (2lb) or 1.3L (2 1/4 pint) loaf tin.
2) Stir the tea bags into the measured water in a jug and leave to stand for
     10 minutes.
3) Mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, dried fruit and nuts in a
     bowl. Remove the tea bags from the water, squeezing out the excess
     water. Thinly slice the butter into the water and stir until melted. Leave
     to cool slightly. Add to the dry ingredients with the egg and mix
     together well.
4) Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread it into the corners.
     Bake in the oven for 1 1/4 hours or until risen, firm and a skewer
     inserted into the centre comes out clean. Loosen the cake at the ends
     and transfer to wire rack. Peel off the lining paper and leave to cool.
5)  Spread the top with chai cream frosting, if you prefer! (See below)

Chai cream frosting: (113 calories per serving)
1. Put 50mls of milk and 3 Chai tea bags in a saucepan and bring to the
    boil. Remove from the heat and leave the tea bags to infuse into the milk
    until cold. Discard the tea bags (squeeze out excess first).
2. Beat together 200g of cream cheese and 25g of very soft unsalted
     butter in a bowl until smooth.
3. Beat in the flavoured milk and 75g of sifted icing sugar.