Barm Brack

By John, 4 February, 2015
Region
Ireland
Description
Irish Barm Brack

Van Morrison includes this sweet tea bread among his reminiscences of youth in his song Sense of Wonder, and most Americans have no idea what he's talking about, or even the words he's using.

Barm Brack is an old Irish recipe typically served with tea in the afternoon. The name means "speckled bread" because it contains raisins or currants. It can be made as a yeast bread or as a soda bread. 

Barm Brack is also traditionally served at Halloween time with some standard trinkets baked into it; if you get one of the trinkets in your slice, then you know your fortune for the coming year. 

Yield
1 Loaf
Preparation time
1 hour, 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 c Brown Sugar
1⁄4 t Nutmeg
1⁄4 t Cloves (ground)
1⁄4 t Ginger
1⁄4 t Cinnamon
2 1⁄2 c Self-Rising Flour
1 egg (beaten)
1 1⁄2 c Tea (fresh and hot)
1⁄3 c Mixed Candied Peel
1 c Currants
1 c Raisins
2 T Honey (warmed)
Instructions
  1. Soften the raisins, diced fruits, and sugar in the hot tea while the oven warms.
  2. Preheat oven to 350. Butter an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan.
  3. Stir together the flour and the spices until well-blended.
  4. Beat the egg into the fruit mixture.
  5. With a light hand, combine the fruit-egg mixture into the flour mixture until just blended.
  6. Bake in the prepared pan for an hour.
  7. Brush the top with warm honey and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
  8. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack to cool.
Source
Irish Teatime Recipes