Barmbrack is a dense, spiced bread that’s speckled with dried fruit. Raisins are traditional, but you can also add glacé cherries or candied citrus peel. Tea gives the bread a lovely flavor, but some bakers add a bit of whiskey in place of some of the tea for a little more complexity.
- 3/4 cup golden raisins
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 3/4 cup dried currants
- 1 1/2 cups hot, brewed black tea
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Strain the fruit, reserving the tea in one bowl and the plumped raisins and currants in a separate bowl.
Whisk the flour with baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Then stir in the brown sugar, and beat in the egg and reserved tea. Fold in the plumped fruit.
Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until a toothpick pricked into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow the loaf to cool in its pan about 5 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
