LEBANESE TEA LOAF
This Lebanese tea loaf is enriched with nutty tahini and sweet, warming spices to make the rainiest of days feel like the sun is shining on your face.
SERVES 8
275ml strong black Earl Grey tea
150g golden sultanas 200g pitted Medjool dates, roughly chopped 115g soft light brown sugar
50g stem ginger, finely chopped 12 cardamom pods 100g ground almonds 100g plain flour 75g fine semolina
1tsp baking powder 3tbsp tahini
2 eggs, beaten
2tbsp dried rose petals 1tbsp slivered pistachios FOR THE SYRUP
1tbsp rose water
50g caster sugar
Grated zest and juice of ½ a lemon
1 Mix the tea with the dried fruit, sugar and stem ginger in a bowl. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and set aside for at least 2 hours, or overnight, until some of the tea has been absorbed and the fruit is plump and juicy.
2 Preheat the oven to 150C/gas 2 and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment.
Bash the cardamom pods to open them and place the seeds in a pestle and mortar, discarding the pods. Grind the seeds until a powder forms, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the ground almonds, flour, semolina and baking powder, and mix to combine.
3 Add the tahini, eggs and the tea-soaked fruit, along with any soaking liquid, and mix with a rubber spatula until no dry spots are visible. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
4 While the cake is cooking, make the syrup. Place the rose water, sugar, lemon zest and juice in a small saucepan, along with 100ml water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for
8-10 minutes until the liquid reduces by a third and a syrup forms.
5 As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes all over it with a skewer and pour the syrup over. Top with the rose petals and pistachios. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift on to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
COOKS TIP Don’t swap the brown sugar for white sugar if that’s all you have – it won’t taste the same.