Put the dried fruit into a bowl with 2 teabags and cover with freshly boiled water. Stir after 10 minutes and leave to soak for several hours (or overnight).
Rub the fat into the flour.
Stir in the sugar, spices, dried yeast and salt.
Heat the milk to lukewarm then make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour it in. Add the eggs.
Use a blunt knife to beat the liquid briefly to break up the eggs, then mix the liquid into the dry ingredients to form a dough.
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured worktop and knead firmly for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Put into a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled in size (typically 2-3 hours but it may take more/ less time on cold/ hot days).
Once the dough is in the bowl drain the fruit from the liquid – tip it into a large sieve. Leave to drain while the dough rises.
When the dough has doubled in size tip the fruit onto a clean tea towel and blot to remove excess moisture.
Knock back the dough then spread it out into a large rectangle. Scatter the fruit over the top, then fold it up. Knead for around 3 minutes until the fruit is well distributed. (The dough will get a little sticky and some of the fruit will fall out. This is normal. Just keep pushing the fruit back into the dough).
Line 2 x 1lb loaf tins with parchment then divide the dough in half and shape each piece to fit into the tins.
Cover the tins loosely with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for another 2 hours until the dough looks well risen (again, exact timing will depend on how warm/ cold the room is).
Meanwhile, pop a baking sheet into the oven and preheat it to 190Cc/ 375F/ GM 5.
When ready to bake brush the top of each loaf lightly with a little beaten egg, then slide it onto the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and continue to bake for a further 20 minutes.
Check the internal temperature of the loaf with a food thermometer. It should register 95C/ 203F. If it is below this temperature, re-cover the loaves with the foil, bake a little longer and check again.
Once fully baked, take the loaves out of the oven and let rest in the tins for 5 minutes, then remove each loaf from the tin and let cool completely on a wire rack.