Irish Tea Barmbrack Food

IRISH BARM BRACK (FRUIT LOAF)

Steps:

• Soak the raisins and currents in the cold tea overnight.
• Heat oven to 350F and line a 1 lb loaf pan with greased parchment paper.
• Add all the remaining ingredient to the raisins, currents and cold tea.
• Stir well and pour into the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake for apprx 1 1/2 hours or until cooked through.
• Keeps well in a covered tin.
• Serve buttered.

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.

TRADITIONAL IRISH BARMBRACK

Steps:

• Place the raisins (or other dried fruit) in a bowl. Pour over the hot tea. Cover the bowl and let the fruit sit until plumped (at least 8 hours, preferably overnight).
• Preheat the oven to 325 F. Liberally grease or butter a 9x5 loaf pan.
• Drain the raisins reserving the soaking liquid. Set both aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the sifted flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves, brown sugar, and baking powder. Whisk well.
• Add the egg, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture is a crumbly texture.
• Add half of the reserved tea and mix well. Add more tea a little at a time until the mixture is the consistency of cake batter. (Note: you may not need all the tea.)
• Add the plumped raisins to the batter and stir well.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Turn the loaf out and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

BARM BRACK (IRISH WHISKEY TEA LOAF)

Steps:

• First soak the raisins and sugar in the tea (or tea and whiskey) overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Add Flour, baking powder, and eggs to the tea mixture.
• Spoon the dough into a greased loaf pans. You should be able to fill 3 loaf pans, 8x4 inches (20x10 cm). (I prefer to make them in ready to give away little loaf pans which makes about five per batch).
• Place loaf pans in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 45minutes.
• Leave Bram Brack to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack and glaze the top with the melted honey. ( If you go with the small give away kind let cool then leave in tin drizzle honey on the top and cover with a little room on top and then give them away when ready.).