BARMBRACK

Báirín Breac

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A cakey fruit bread that once celebrated Samhain, an ancient Celtic harvest celebration. A tradition is to add a dried bean, a small square of cloth, a coin, and a ring to the cake mix. (Each item wrapped in a piece of parchment.) If you find a bean in your slice, the omen is spinsterhood. Cloth: lean times ahead. Coin: wealth. Ring: a promise of marriage.

 

Ingredients

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2 cups black tea, made with two teabags, cooled

2 cups raisins, sultanas, cranberries, mixed peel, whatever dried fruit’s on hand

2 cups all-purpose flour

1⁄4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

6 tablespoons butter

1⁄4 cup whole milk

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup honey, warmed

2 fl. ounces whiskey (optional)

 

Instructions

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Soak dried fruit in the tea for 2 hours, and then drain and set aside.

Heat oven to 325° fah.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a bowl.

Work in the butter and crumb with fingers.

Whisk egg with milk, pour into the bowl, add soaked fruit, and stir until a wet dough forms. Put dough into a greased 8" cake pan and bake until firm, for around 50 minutes, depending on oven.

Brush with honey then bake 2 minutes more.

Pour whiskey over cake, allow to cool, and serve slices with a slather of butter.