Cherry-Date-Pecan Tea Bread

This weekend, I decided to use up some dates and dried cherries I had sitting around, and the result was this Cherry-Date-Pecan Tea Bread, which I really enjoyed! I took some to Sunday school for our class breakfast yesterday, and I popped the leftovers in the freezer to slice up for future teatimes.

One problem I've always had with dried fruit in a tea bread is that it sinks to the bottom. I've tried coating it with flour, but that didn't work either. Somehow, the liquid always ended up rinsing the flour off, and those bits of fruit sank like a lead balloon. This time, I added the dried fruit to my flour mixture, combined it all by hand until it was heavily coated, and only then did I pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones. I was very happy with the way the fruit was distributed this time, and I much prefer the cherries and dates to plain old raisin bread! So here's the recipe.

Cherry-Date-Pecan Tea Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup dried fruit (I used a mix of dates and dried cherries)

1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water

1 egg, well beaten


In large bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, fruit, and pecans, combining well. In separate bowl, combine vanilla, butter, boiling water, and egg and mix well, making sure butter melts completely in the boiling water. Add liquid ingredients to the dry ones and stir just until combined. Pour into a 9 x 5 x 3-inch pan prepared with cooking spray (or use a parchment liner). Allow batter to stand for 20 minutes before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.