Builders' Tea Sticky Toffee Loaf

teas.co.uk · 15 min + 12 hr soak + 75 min bake · Serves 10 to 12 slices

You'll need

• For the overnight tea and milk soak:
• 3 Hyson Premium Breakfast Tea bags
• 200ml filtered water at a full rolling boil
• 200ml full fat dairy milk, warmed to 60 degrees in a small pan
• 300g Medjool dates (proper Medjool, not standard cooking dates), pitted and chopped into 1cm pieces
• For the loaf:
• 200g self raising flour
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 120g unsalted butter, softened
• 120g soft dark muscovado sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons black treacle
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• For the topping (poured over warm loaf):
• 50g unsalted butter
• 50g soft dark muscovado sugar
• 50ml double cream
• 30ml strong reserved Ceylon (set aside from the soak)
• Tin: 900g (2lb) loaf tin, greased and lined with baking parchment

Method

1. The night before, bring 200ml of water to a full rolling boil. Steep the three tea bags for four minutes, then lift them out and press gently. Set aside 30ml of the brew for the topping.
2. Warm 200ml of full fat milk to about 60C (a surface shimmer, no bubbles) and combine it with the remaining tea in a large bowl.
3. Add the chopped Medjool dates and stir to coat. Cover and leave at room temperature for 12 hours; the dates will drink up most of the liquid and turn deep mahogany.
4. Next day, heat the oven to 160C fan (180 conventional) and line a 900g loaf tin.
5. Beat the softened butter and muscovado together until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs and treacle.
6. Stir the bicarbonate into the soaked dates, then tip them into the butter mixture. Sift in the flour, ginger and cloves and fold until just combined.
7. Spoon into the tin, level the top, and bake for about 75 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil if it browns too fast.
8. Meanwhile, make the topping: melt the butter, muscovado, cream and reserved tea together over a low heat for a couple of minutes, until thick and glossy.
9. Rest the baked loaf in the tin for ten minutes, poke holes all over the top, and pour the warm tea toffee sauce over so it soaks in. Leave to cool fully in the tin.
10. Turn out and slice thickly. It is lovely warm with clotted cream or ice cream, keeps three days wrapped, and freezes well.

Recipe: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/biscuits/builders tea sticky toffee loaf/