Tea Brack Food

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.

TEA LOAF

Steps:

• Mix the sultanas, raisins and orange zest in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the tea and cover the bowl. Leave to sit for a minimum of 6 hours or ideally overnight to allow the dried fruit to soak up all the liquid.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 4. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin. Add the eggs, flour and sugar to the soaked fruit, ensuring everything is well combined. Spoon the mixture into the tin and place in the centre of the oven for 1 hour 30 mins or until firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins before transferring to a wire rack.
• Cut into thick slices and serve with butter. To store, wrap tightly and keep in an airtight container for up to five days. The loaf will taste even better after a few days.

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.

VEGAN IRISH TEA BRACK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
• Add dried fruits to hot tea. Dissolve in the sugar. Let soak for about 15 minutes.
• Mix baking powder and flour.
• Add liquid ingredients, stir and mix well.
• Add mash bananas.
• Pour into a loaf tin.
• Bake for 1h and 30 minutes (or until a metal skewer comes out clean). I baked this at 180 degrees Celsius for the first 20 minutes, then lowered to 160 degrees for the next 50 minutes, and then 170 degrees for the final 20 minutes. I turned off the oven and let it sit in there for another 10 minutes.
• (But do the fork test to see when yours is done. You might need less time...)
• Allow to cool before cutting.

TEA BRACK

Steps:

• Place tea bags in large bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water and let steep 5 minutes. Remove tea bags. Add all raisins, sugar and orange peel to bowl. Cover and let stand overnight, stirring once or twice.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter bottom and sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Mix egg into tea mixture. Add flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice and cloves and mix well. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until top is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes (bread will fill half to two-thirds of pan). Cool bread in pan on rack. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.) Release pan sides from bread. Slice bread; serve with butter.