Spiced Tea Loaf

Serve hot or cold with lashings of sweet vanilla butter, this Bakers Tennis Biscuit-inspired loaf, is a perfect afternoon teatime treat.

Makes 1 small loaf.

Ingredients

• 150 g (3⁄4 pack) Bakers Tennis Biscuits
• 200 g creamed cottage cheese
• 125 ml light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 125 ml self-raising flour
• 75 g walnuts, chopped
• 65 ml mixed citrus peel
• 65 ml desiccated coconut
• 5 ml baking powder
• 5 ml mixed spice
• 3 ml salt

Instructions

Place the Bakers Tennis Biscuits in a processor and process into fine crumbs and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the cottage cheese and sugar. Beat the eggs in, one at a time, adding a spoon of flour with each egg.

Stir in the nuts, mixed peel and 45 ml of the coconut. Sift the remaining flour, baking powder, mixed spice and salt into the mixture. Sprinkle the biscuit crumbs on top and lightly fold in. Do not overwork the mixture.

Pour into a greased foil loaf pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining coconut. Bake in the oven pre-heated to 180 oC for 50 minutes to an hour or until risen and cooked through.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before turning out of the pan. Serve sliced, spread with sweet vanilla butter.

PS: To make sweet vanilla butter, mix 125 g soft butter with the seeds of a vanilla pod and 30 ml castor sugar. Pop the barren pod into the sugar jar to pass its lingering aromatics on to your tea or coffee.