There's something really comforting about teacakes and this recipe for Earl grey teacakes takes them to the next level. Smother them in butter and add a little lemon curd to bring out the flavour. You can shape the teacakes on a baking sheet, but using a traditional Yorkshire pudding tin gives the teacakes a classic flat-bottomed look.
Ingredients
strong white bread flour 250g
strong wholemeal bread flour 150g
golden caster sugar 50g
fast action yeast 7g sachet or 2 tsp
earl grey tea 1 bag
salt 1 tsp
lemons 2, juice from 1
butter 50g, diced
whole milk 225ml, warmed
earl grey tea 2 tea bags
sultanas or raisins 150g
citrus peel 50g, diced
Method
STEP 1
Prepare the fruit the night before you want to bake your teacakes. Make 250ml earl grey, and while it’s still hot, mix it with the sultanas or raisins and peel, cover and leave to soak overnight.
STEP 2
On the day, mix the flours, sugar, yeast, leaves from the teabag, salt and lemon zest in a big mixing bowl. Rub in the butter until you can only feel fine crumbs (or whizz the whole lot in a food processor). Put the lemon juice and milk into a jug and mix well. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, pour in the liquid and mix to a dough. Knead for 10 minutes on the worksurface (or 5 minutes in a stand mixer), then pop it back in the bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm, and leave it to rise until doubled.
STEP 3
Lightly flour 8 Yorkshire-pudding-tin holes, and drain the soaked fruit. Knock back the risen dough in the bowl by kneading in the drained dried fruit. Divide the dough into 8, and shape it into flattish smooth balls, using floured hands. Sit one in each Yorkshire-pudding-tin hole, cover loosely with oiled clingfilm and leave until almost doubled in size.
STEP 4
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Dust the teacakes with a little flour and then bake for 20 minutes. Cool on wire racks to avoid soggy bottoms, then eat warm, or toasted with butter and a little lemon curd if you like.