Barmbrack is the first recipe of the Halloween Menu for the series “Building the Menu”; it comes from Ireland, and it couldn’t be otherwise as it is the land where Halloween originated…
It is a sweet bread from the Irish tradition, a country where it is particularly made for this festival.
According to a tradition, it could predict the future because it was customary to place an object inside various loaves, which could be:
– a pea, whoever found it would not marry that year;
– a stick, whoever found it would have an unhappy marriage and argue with their spouse;
– a piece of cloth, would have bad luck or live in poverty;
– a sixpence silver coin, would have a prosperous future and marry that year;
– a ring, the only object still inserted today, which predicts a fortunate future.
The ingredients are: flour, an egg, sugar, raisins and sultanas both soaked overnight in Irish black tea, yeast, and spices.
It is usually consumed spread with butter and accompanied by tea.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 6 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Irish
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 3.5 oz raisins
- 3.5 oz sultanas
- 1 lemon (and/or orange – the zest)
- 1 cup black tea (Irish break or English breakfast)
- 1.75 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 2.1 oz sugar
- to taste spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger)
Steps
Soak the raisins and sultanas with the grated zest of lemon and/or orange and the sugar in a cup of hot tea for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. Cover and leave at room temperature.
In a bowl, combine the flour with the baking powder and spices. Then add the raisin mix with the tea and the beaten egg, alternating.
Spread in a baking pan with a diameter of 8-9 inches and bake in the oven at 340°F for 60-80 minutes.
Do you know the Skellig Islands?
The Skellig Islands (Skellig Rocks) are two small, rugged islands off the coast of Kerry, a southwestern county of the Republic of Ireland.
They serve as the backdrop and setting for Luke Skywalker in some episodes of the “Star Wars”.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is the difference between sultanas and raisins?
Sultanas are a specific variety of grape belonging to the Vitis Vinifera species, while raisins are a food product subjected to dehydration and treatment with glucose and other preservatives.
The first is a specific variety of cluster fruit, the second is a food comparable to the family of dehydrated fruit.
