Psychic Irish Barmbrack
Barmbrack means "speckled cake". It is baked in either a loaf pan or cake pan depending on your family tradition. The brack foretells the future. Baked with charms, a piece is served to each member of the family, and your piece may contain a charm which will determine your fate: A coin: good things, hopefully riches, on the way; A ring: you’ll be married within the year; A snippet of cloth: rags, poverty, bad luck in the year ahead
Servings 1 loaf or cake
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups chopped dried fruit (depending on how fruity you like it)
- 1 cup black tea
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. ginger
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 3/4 cup sugar (or plant based substitute, like Stevia)
- 3 small charms coin, ring, cloth
Instructions
- Heat the fruit and tea in a sauce pan for 15 minutes and then let it cool. Retain the steeped tea to thin the dough if you need it.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a large loaf pan or cake pan.
- Mix together with the rest of the ingredients (apart from the honey/golden syrup) and stir in the charms which you have wrapped in parchment paper. Mix until combined. If the dough seems too thick, add some milk or steeped tea.
- Bake for 60 minutes or until risen and firm to the touch.
- If you like a graze, melt honey or golden syrup and brush over the brack before you are ready to serve.
- Serve in slices to your family, but let them know there are charms inside to avoid any possible choking.