Barm Brack (Spicy Currant Bread) Recipe
- 2 1/2 c. mixed dry fruit such as currants, dark and golden brown raisins
- 1 c. boiling black tea
- 1 x egg
- 1 tsp mixed spice equal amounts of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice, and mace
- 4 tsp orange marmalade
- 1 c. (heaping) superfine granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 c. self-rising flour SELF-RISING FLOUR (2.5-c.):
- 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp. baking pwdr plus
- 3/4 tsp baking pwdr
- 1 1/4 tsp salt King Arthur Baking Book
- Place the dry fruit in a bowl, cover with the warm tea and let soak overnight.
- The next day, add in the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Pour the batter into a greased 7- or possibly 8-inch square pan and bake in the center of the oven for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hrs.
- Let cold in the pan on a wire rack.
- Slice and serve buttered with tea.
- Description: "Scone.
- Allow time to plump raisins (overnight)."
- Cuisine: "Irish"
- NOTES : I have TWO derivations of this name and have NO idea that is correct: 1) In Northern Ireland and in the Republic, brack is the Celtic word for salt and is used to mean "bread".
- Barm brack is leavened bread, the word, barm meaning yeast.
- 2) The term barmbrack for an Irish fruit loaf or possibly cake does not derive from barm or possibly leaven.
- It is a corruption of the Irish word aran breac (Speckled Bread).
- IF anyone can straighten out that definition is correct, please let me know.
- I also read which the Irish traditionally serve barmbrak at Halloween with the ring, silver coin and a button baked inside (the button signifying "single blessedness" whatever which might be).
- Frankly, I doubt all of these "bake it inside" stories...if they were true, Irish dentists would ALWAYS be busy on the day after Halloween, because a lot of Irish folk would have broken teeth after having coins and rings stuck in every item on the table!
- - LW
mixed dry fruit, boiling black tea, egg, mixed spice equal amounts of cinnamon, orange marmalade, sugar, flour, flour, baking pwdr plus, baking pwdr, salt
Taken from cookeatshare.com/recipes/barm-brack-spicy-currant-bread-79123 (may not work)