Next week we will be hosting an online barmbarck baking demo next Thursday (29th of October at 11.00am) as part of our Halloween Online day of fun. If you you would like to bake along at home, here is what you’ll need…

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (8.75oz/248g) raisins
• 1 3/4 cups (8.75oz/248g) sultanas
• 1 Zest of lemon, large
• 1 Zest of orange, large
• 1 1/3 cups (8oz/227g) dark brown sugar
• 2 cups (16floz/500ml) black tea, hot and strong
• 3 cups (15oz/426g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 2 eggs , beaten

Please note if you would like to take part in this you will have to so some prep the day before… Combine the raisins, sultanas, zests, and sugar in a medium bowl and pour the hot tea over and stir to combine. Cover with cling wrap and ALLOW TO STAND OVER NIGHT at room temperature. You will also need a baking/cake tin!

The History of Barmbrack or Bairín Breac

Halloween today continues the ancient Celtic tradition to an extent. In olden times at Halloween, which coincided with the harvest, the fruit would be gathered to make the Christmas Cakes as this was a way to preserve the fruits which were a great luxury. The eggs which were free-range and seasonal would be scarcer as the winter months rolled on, and the butter too would be getting scarce. The Barmbrack in a sense was a taster, a treat at this time of year with the promise of Christmas. Not as rich as a Christmas cake, and more like a bread, with a scattering of dried fruit and spice when available, it was generally spread with butter to be eaten. The Irish term for this, Bairín Breac, means ‘speckled bread’ indicating that the fruit was scarce in the loaf. The Druidic tradition is represented by the inclusion of charms in the bread, meant to indicate the fortune of the recipient. 

There were a few traditional charms: a ring, a coin, a pea, and a piece of fabric.

• A pea, a dried pea, the person would not marry
• A piece of cloth, the person would have bad luck or would be poor
• A coin, would enjoy good fortune or be rich
• A ring, the person would be married within the year

The person who got the ring was meant to place it under his or her pillow when they would dream of the person they would marry! The ring is still included in a barmbrack today, though I think it is now regarded as just a little bit of fun.