I am writing this in fuzziness between Christmas and New Year. Today has been quiet, another lie-in, a short walk into town for some exercise fresh air and quick visit to Sainsbury’s.  

The frangipani mince pies from Christmas Day are a sweet but distant memory. However, sitting in the fridge I had one Tupperware containing excess mince pie filling and another containing the last of the frangipani topping. It seemed a shame waste this food, I can imagine when New Years Eve comes round next Thursday I would be chucking it away with the mantra of does it spark joy?

I’m not sure where the idea came from but I decided that I could use the mincemeat filling to make a tea loaf. I had all ingredients, to adapt a recipe that I’d made a few years ago. 

I used my ‘NHS tea’ (Betty’s Tea Room Blend). I decided use plain flour and add bicarbonate. I really loved the method I saw from Nigella’s gingerbread recipe, adding the cider vinegar, water (actually 2 tablespoon of the tea mixture) and bicarbonate. I am one for fizz and fun. I swapped out the 1/2 cup of coconut sugar with 1/3 cup of light muscovado sugar.

The result? Delicious. Soft, moist and fruity. I’ve devoured 2 slices already.

Ingredients

1 cup Betty’s Tea Room Blend tea

1 cup leftover mince pie  mix (mincemeat, satsuma, chopped apple, lemons zest)

1 egg

2 cups plain flour

1/3 light muscovado sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 tablespoons of the tea mixture

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Left over frangipani mix

Method

1. soak the mincemeat mixture in the tea for 2 hours

2. mix 2 tablespoons of the tea with the bicarbonate of soda and cider vinegar

3. Add the flour, spices, egg, leftover frangipani mix and sugar to the mincemeat mixture.

3. Put into baking loaf tin lined with a baking paper and bake for 1 hour at 170oC

4. Remove when golden brown and cool on wire rack.