Barmbrack

Barmbrack is a traditional Irish tea loaf. It is a cake or a yeasted bread loaded with lots of dried fruits usually in the form of raisins and sultanas. My version also has glace cherries as I simply can't miss an opportunity to use them. The fruits are steeped in tea, altough its a brief stint in the tea the fruits really plump up becoming juicer and help the cake stay moist. Barmbrack are usually eaten around Halloween in Ireland. In times gone by, items were added to the cake a piece of cloth, a coin, and a ring. Whoever got the cloth would not be rich, the person that got the coin would come into money and the person that got the ring would be wed within the year. Barmbracks now mostly come with one item the ring. So be weary when eating not to break a tooth or choke on the ring.

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% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Put the dried fruits into a saucepan along with the tea bags and the water. Bring to a boil and as soon as it does switch off the heat and pour into a jug to cool. Add the lemon zest to the jug so that it infuses with the tea and fruits whilst it cools.

Step 2

Heat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan. Line a 1lb loaf tin with baking paper. Meanwhile in a bowl combine the dry ingredients the flour, baking powder, salt and mixed spice. Give them a quick stir together and set aside.

Step 3

When the fruits have cooled pour them into a mixing bowl. Remove the teabags squeezing any liquid out of them before discarding.. Add the sugar and egg and beat until its combined. Tip the dry ingredients into the wet and stir together until no traces of flour remain. Add the ring and give another brief stir.

Step 4

Spoon the batter into the lined loaf tin smooth the top a little and bake for 1 hour on the middle shelf. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

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