Irish Barmbrack Cakes For Halloween Food

IRISH TEA CAKE (BARMBRACK)

Steps:

• Place tea bags in a heatproof measuring cup. Pour in boiling water and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and let cool until barely warm.
• Combine currants, cherries, and raisins in a bowl. Pour warm tea over the fruit. Let sit for 2 hours. Drain fruit, reserving 2 to 4 tablespoons of the tea.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Thoroughly butter a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with buttered parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Add brown sugar, egg, milk, reserved tea, lemon and orange zest, whiskey, vanilla, and butter. Mix until flour is mostly incorporated. Stir in fruit until just combined.
• Spread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Tap pan against the counter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Drizzle honey over the top. Let cool in the pan before slicing.

IRISH BARMBRACK

Steps:

• Soak the dried fruit in the hot tea for 2 hours, then drain and gently squeeze out excess tea.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch Bundt pan. Stir together the flour cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda; set aside.
• Beat the egg, sugar, marmalade, orange zest, and tea-soaked fruit until well combined. Gently fold in the flour until just combined, then pour into the prepared Bundt pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool in the pan for 2 hours before removing. Continue to cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Press the objects of choice into the cake through the bottom before serving.

IRISH BARMBRACK TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Throw the raisins in a bowl and pour the tea over. Place the bowl in the fridge and let the raisins soak overnight.

IRISH TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Brew the tea in 1½ cups of hot water and allow to cool. Combine the dried fruits in a non-reactive bowl and pour over the cooled tea. Refrigerate overnight. Heat your oven to 170C. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and spices in a mixing bowl, crack in the egg and add the fruits without their liquid. Stir to combine, and add as much of the soaking liquid as necessary to create a pourable batter, reserving the remainder. Transfer to a lined loaf tin and bake for 75 minutes. Test with a skewer and, if the skewer comes out wet, return to oven for a further 15 minutes. When the cake is cooked, remove from the oven, allow to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then place on a rack to cool to room temperature. While the cake is cooking, combine the caster sugar with ¼ cup of the soaking liquid. If no soaking liquid remains, use ¼ cup of water. Bring to a simmer in a small saucepan for just long enough to dissolve the sugar, then allow to cool. Brush the cooling cake with the sugar syrup. When cooled to room temperature, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least two hours (preferably overnight). Slice, spread with butter, and serve with a cup of tea. Looking for more St Patrick's Day ideas? Try Adam Liaw's Dublin coddle.

IRISH BARMBRACK CAKES FOR HALLOWEEN

Steps:

• 1. Soak dried fruits in tea overnight (or a few hours if not enough time).
• 2. Heat milk until warm. Sprinkle yeast and teaspoon granulated sugar over top and stir. Let sit in a warm place for about 15 minutes, until foamy.
• 3. Stir together the flour, salt, spices, and brown sugar in a large bowl.
• 4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add egg, yeast mixture, and butter. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
• 5. Drain fruit well, then add to the dough. This should produce a smooth dough. If it's too gooey, add more flour.
• 6. Knead dough on a floured board for about 5-10 minutes. The dough should be smooth, but just a little sticky.
• 7. Place dough in your greased cake or loaf pan, cover with a cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes, until doubled.
• 8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake barmbrack 30 minutes.
• 9. Remove bread from the pan, flip it upside down, return it to the pan, and bake 20 minutes more.
• 10. Bread is done cooking it sounds hollow when tapped on the sides. Cool on a rack before serving.
• 11. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or serve with butter and jam.