Irish Tea Cakes - cooking recipe

Ingredients

225 g raisins
110 g currants
350 g sultanas
110 g mixed peel (candied peel)
225 g demerara sugar (or raw sugar)
1 tea bag (your favourite variety)
110 g walnuts, roughly chopped
275 ml boiling water
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tablespoons milk
450 g self-raising flour

Preparation

The day before you intend to cook this recipe, place all the fruit and the mixed peel into a large mixing bowl.
In a medium bowl or large heat proof jug, measure out 275ml of boiling water.
Jiggle the tea bag around in the water until you have a nice, strong brew.
Add the sugar to the hot tea and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Pour tea/sugar mixture over the fruit.
Cover and leave overnight.
The next day, set the oven to 170C/325\u00b0F.
Grease two 450g/1lb loaf tins and line the base and sides with baking paper- also known as baking parchment or silicone paper.
Add the chopped walnuts to the fruit mixture.
Break the egg into a small dish, add the milk, and beat lightly.
Add the egg mixture to the fruit mixture.
Sieve the flour into the fruit mixture then mix well, using a wooden spoon- the mixture may seem dry at first, but keep mixing and it will come together.
Using a large serving spoon, divide the mixture evenly between the lined loaf tins, then smooth the tops with the back of a spoon.
Place on the centre shelf of the oven and bake for 1 1/4- 1 1/2 hours until a skewer, pushed through the centre of the cake, comes out clean.
Be careful not to overcook- test after 1 1/4 hours.
Remove cakes from oven and turn out immediately to cool on a wire rack.
Serve warm or at room temperature, sliced and buttered.