DARK CHOCOLATE, ORANGE & GINGER BARA BRITH

Dark chocolate, orange & ginger bara brith image

Try a twist on bara brith - the classic Welsh teacake - made with chocolate, orange and ginger. It's perfect for celebrating St David's Day

Provided by Naomi Spaven

Time 1h25m

Yield Serves 8-10

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

3 strong black teabags
300g dried mixed fruit
butter, for the tin
180g dark brown soft sugar
4-5 balls of stem ginger, roughly chopped
100g dark chocolate, chopped
2 tsp marmalade
2 drops of orange essence, or use 1 orange, zested
1 medium egg, beaten
230g self-raising flour
½ tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground ginger
50g dark chocolate
2 oranges (optional)

Steps:

Drop the teabags into a heatproof jug, pour over 350ml boiling water from the kettle and leave to brew for 5 mins. Tip the dried fruit into a large heatproof bowl and pour over the hot tea. Cover and soak overnight.
Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Butter a 2lb loaf tin and line with baking parchment. Scatter the sugar over the soaked fruit and stir to dissolve. Add the ginger, chocolate, marmalade, orange essence, egg, flour, a pinch of salt and all the spices, then mix to a thick batter.
Scrape into the tin and bake for 1 hr 15 mins. Leave in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
To decorate, melt the chocolate in short bursts in the microwave, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn't touch the water. If you're making the dried peel, peel the oranges and cut the peel into strips. Press dry with a kitchen towel, then scatter over a baking tray and bake at 90C or your oven's lowest setting for 3 hrs, checking every 45 mins. Leave to cool. Drizzle the chocolate over the loaf and scatter with the peel.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 341 calories, Fat 7 grams fat, SaturatedFat 4 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 64 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 45 grams sugar, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 5 grams protein, Sodium 0.3 milligram of sodium