Barmbrack Irish Bread
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours
- 400g/14ozs. sultanas, raisins or mixed fruit
- 300ml/10.6flozs. tea
- 235g/8.3ozs. plain all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 125g/4ozs. dark brown sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons mixed spice
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- A token (pea, coin, thimble or stick*)
- 60ml/2flozs. whiskey
*You can wrap these objects in a little parchment (not the pea)
Step 1 - Place the dried fruit and tea in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer for 5 or so minutes until fruit plumps up. Cool completely (alternatively, you can steep the fruit in hot tea and leave on the countertop overnight).
Step 2 - Preheat oven to 130C/260F and line a 23x15 or 9x6inch loaf tin on the base and sides. In a large bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, brown sugar, mixed spice, cinnamon and orange and lemon zests. Add the cooled fruit, tea, beaten egg and tokens and mix.
Step 3 -Scoop into prepared tin and bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes to 2 hours and the centre should spring back when gently touched. I found that the time depended on the shape of your loaf tin ie a deeper loaf tin (19.5cm x 10cm x 11cm) requires 2 hours cooking while a wider, shallower one (22.5cm x 14cm 8.8cm) requires just 1 hour 40 minutes. Pour the whisky over the cake when out of the oven. Cool for 15 minutes and then serve with cold butter. Note: some say to cover the barmbrack bread for 2 days to allow the flavour to develop and the loaf to moisten before eating but it's hard to resist it. But it will become better after a day or two!