I have made a very similar loaf to this before – Welsh Bara Brith, which I wrote about in this post here. This version was in the Guardian Food section on Saturday and you can find it online next week, unless you happen to have bought a hard copy today, or subscribe. (As soon as I can I will add the link.) The article discussed different versions, and then came up with a ‘classic-best-recipe’. In Ireland this fruit loaf was traditionally made at Halloween, but nowadays is popular all year round. Like bara brith it was originally a yeasted bread, and some recipes still use this method. However it’s usually made as a quick bread now with baking powder.
Ingredients
200g currants
200g sultanas
300ml strong tea
50ml whisky – or an extra 50ml tea
25g mixed peel – roughly chopped if it’s not already
25g glacé cherries – quartered
25g chopped blanched almonds (texture) – or I used ground almonds
150g light muscovado sugar (I used 130g of a mix of dark brown and golden caster sugar because that’s what I had)
210g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
Method
Soak the sultanas and currants in the tea (and whisky) for at least 6 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180 deg C (160 fan) Gas 4. Grease and line a 13cm x 20cm loaf tin. Stir the peel, cherries and almonds into the soaked fruit.
In another bowl which together the sugar, flour, baking powder, spices and salt. The stir into the fruit with the beaten egg. Tip the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 90 minutes, covering the top after an hour if it’s getting too brown. A skewer or cake tester should come out clean.
Leave for 15 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.
In the recipe as written there is an optional sugar glaze but I really don’t think it needs it. The main difference between this recipe and the Welsh one is the amount of fruit, which is way more in the Irish version. It comes out really squishy and damp. And yummy! The spice is just right, and with a little bit of butter it makes a very delicious tea time treat.
I’ve also been thinking it would make a good snack when on a long walk. Which brings me to my new venture – I’ve started a new blog called Walking the London Loop, which is all about – well you can guess! If you have the time and inclination take a look.
Eat Cake And Run 