Barm Brack

Hi everyone,

It seems I made an error yesterday- there are 31 days in March not 30! But here is my last recipe that is in our Irish themed month (given St Patrick's Day falls on the 17th March). It is another recipe from Theodora Fitzgibbon's 'A Taste of Ireland in Food and in Pictures'

Barm Brack is a traditional Irish fruit bread. It is something you'd have for tea in the afternoon with a cup of tea. The legend has it, that sometimes it's made with a gold ring in and if you got that gold ring you'd be married within a year. As to whether this is true or not, I'll leave to you to come to your own conclusion.

Ingredients:

1Ib (4 Cups) Flour

Half a Pint (1 Cup) of Tepid Milk

Half a Ib (1 and a Quarter Cups) Sultanas

2 Heaped tbsp Butter

Half a level tsp Ground Cinnamon

Half a level tsp Salt

3oz (3 Quarters of a cup) Caster Sugar

3 Quarter oz (1 cake) Yeast

4oz (1 Cup) Currants

2oz (Half a Cup) Mixed Chopped Candied Peel

Quarter level tsp Nutmeg

1 Egg beaten

Method:

Tip: All utensils should be warm before starting to make a brack.

1. Sift the flour, spices and salt together, then rub in the butter.

2. Cream the yeast with 1 tsp of the sugar, and 1 tsp of the tepid milk. It should froth up; if it doesn't, it means the yeast is old and stale.

3. Add the rest the sugar to the flour mixture and blend well.

4. Then pour the tepid milk and the beaten egg on to the yeast mixture, and combine with the flour etc.

5. Beat well with a wooden spoon or turn into the warmed bowl of an electric mixer and work with the dough hook at a speed of 6-8 for about 5 minutes. The batter should be stiff but elastic. [This can also be achieved by hand for 5-8 minutes)

6. Fold in the dried fruit and chopped peel; cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place until the dough is twice the size. Turn out and divide into two portions.

7. Grease two 7-in. cake tins and put one portion in each tin, adding the ring [if using] at this stage. Cover again and leave to rise for about 30 minutes.

8. Bake in a moderate to hot oven (400 Degrees Fahrenheit, Electric; Gas Regulo 5-6) for about 1 hour. Test with a skewer before taking out the oven.

9. Glaze the top with 1 tbsp sugar dissolved in 2 tbsp boiling water and put back in the hot oven for about 3 minutes.

10. Turn out to cool on a wire tray and when cool serve in slices with butter. It keeps very well, but if it gets stale it is very good toasted and served with butter.

Will you have a go? Maybe get the children involved? Let me know how you get on if you do.

Enjoy,

Lily x