Best Irish Barmbrack Recipes

BARMBRACK (IRISH SWEET BREAD)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk the yeast and milk together. Leave it to bubble slowly in a warm spot 10 minutes, then whisk in the beaten egg.
• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, put the flour, cinnamon, clove, mace, salt, butter and sugar. Mix well, incorporating butter with fingertips (or paddle, if using mixer) until absorbed.
• Pour the yeast-milk-egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon (or dough hook, with mixer).
• When the dough begins to come together, add the raisins, currants, lemon zest and orange zest, then mix to combine. It will be somewhat sticky dough. Dust lightly with flour, turn out onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until the dough feels smooth. Pat dough into a rectangle.
• Butter a loaf pan and lay in the dough, pushing down so dough covers bottom of pan. Stretch plastic wrap loosely over pan and put in a warm place, covered with a kitchen towel, for about an hour, until doubled in size. Uncover.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees and center a rack in the oven. Bake loaf on the centered rack for 45 minutes, until well browned. Carefully tip the loaf out of the pan onto a cooling rack. To tell whether it's done, thump the bottom of the loaf with your fingertips; it should sound hollow. Let cool to room temperature before slicing, if possible.

IRISH TEA CAKE (BARMBRACK)

Steps:

• Place tea bags in a heatproof measuring cup. Pour in boiling water and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and let cool until barely warm.
• Combine currants, cherries, and raisins in a bowl. Pour warm tea over the fruit. Let sit for 2 hours. Drain fruit, reserving 2 to 4 tablespoons of the tea.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Thoroughly butter a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with buttered parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Add brown sugar, egg, milk, reserved tea, lemon and orange zest, whiskey, vanilla, and butter. Mix until flour is mostly incorporated. Stir in fruit until just combined.
• Spread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Tap pan against the counter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Drizzle honey over the top. Let cool in the pan before slicing.

IRISH TEA BARMBRACK

Steps:

• Mix raisins, golden raisins, mixed fruit peel, and molasses with black tea in a bowl; cover and let soak, 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
• Stir flour, turbinado sugar, egg, and pumpkin pie spice into raisin mixture until well mixed; pour into the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until barmbrack is firm to the touch, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

IRISH BARMBRACK CAKES FOR HALLOWEEN

Steps:

• 1. Soak dried fruits in tea overnight (or a few hours if not enough time).
• 2. Heat milk until warm. Sprinkle yeast and teaspoon granulated sugar over top and stir. Let sit in a warm place for about 15 minutes, until foamy.
• 3. Stir together the flour, salt, spices, and brown sugar in a large bowl.
• 4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add egg, yeast mixture, and butter. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
• 5. Drain fruit well, then add to the dough. This should produce a smooth dough. If it's too gooey, add more flour.
• 6. Knead dough on a floured board for about 5-10 minutes. The dough should be smooth, but just a little sticky.
• 7. Place dough in your greased cake or loaf pan, cover with a cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes, until doubled.
• 8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake barmbrack 30 minutes.
• 9. Remove bread from the pan, flip it upside down, return it to the pan, and bake 20 minutes more.
• 10. Bread is done cooking it sounds hollow when tapped on the sides. Cool on a rack before serving.
• 11. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or serve with butter and jam.

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.

IRISH TEA BARMBRACK BY DARINA ALLEN

Steps:

• If you can't get sultanas and/or raisins, just use all raisins instead, or you could substitute dried cranberries too. Darina's recipe calls for glacé cherries, but you could use chopped dates instead or leave them out altogether. I've been cheeky and have swapped out some of the tea for whiskey in this recipe, but if you don't want to use alcohol in your barmbrack, just use 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) tea. For a twist, use Earl Grey or even chai tea instead of regular black tea. If you want to add in some charms, like a ring or coins, just be sure to wrap them well in parchment paper first before adding them to the batter!
• Put the raisins, sultanas, currants, cherries and candied peel in a large bowl, one that's big enough to accommodate all the ingredients later on. Pour over the tea and whiskey or Cointreau and allow the fruit to soak for at least 30 minutes or even overnight.
• When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 450 g (1 lb) loaf tin with parchment paper or a loaf tin liner.
• Add in the beaten egg, flour, sugar and mixed spice to the fruit and tea mixture. Stir well until everything is just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack before slicing. This keeps very well in an airtight tin.