Barmbrack - Irish Fruit Bread

For the complete article, and more information on this delicious, fun treat, click here!
 

• 1cup of tea – you can use flavored teas if you wish
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• ¼  tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp salt
• 4 Tbl butter, frozen
• 1 Tbl yeast (or 1 packet)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups lukewarm milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 cups dried fruit

1. Mix the raisins and dried fruit with the ½ cup of brown sugar. Pour 1 cup of tea over the fruit and mix to combine. Cover tightly and allow to sit overnight. The fruit will absorb the tea. You can use any kind you like, just remember that fruited or citrus teas are probably better. The fruits will take on the flavors of the tea, so some kinds of tea might be odd. You can certainly use plain old black tea as well. Before you add it to the batter, let it sit in a small colander or sieve to remove excess liquid. Reserve 1 Tbl of the soaking liquid for the dough later. The fruit will be much softer, so be careful when you knead it into the dough so you don’t break it up too much. I used a mixed group of cherries, sweetened cranberries and blueberries. If we’re going to make an Irish American barmbrack, then let’s use our best!
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the warm milk, yeast and sugar. Allow it to proof while you mix the dry ingredients.
4. Sift together flour, spices and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer.
5. With a microplane grater, grate the butter into the flour mixture. Mix well but briefly to incorporate the butter into the dough. You can do this with a cheese grater as well. A few seconds and your done, and the heat of your fingers won’t melt the butter. Be careful though – make sure your mixing bowl is deep, otherwise you’ll end up with the flour all over you and the kitchen both.
6. Crack the egg into the milk-yeast mixture. Whisk well. Slowly add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Add the reserved soaking liquid from the fruit. Mix well, kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.
7. Gently knead in the softened fruit – don’t over mix it at this point or the fruit will disintegrate.  Place the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Allow it to rest in a warm spot until doubled in size.
8. Knead the dough again. Divide it in half. Place each half in a greased one pound loaf pan. If you’re baking the charms in, wrap them now in parchment paper and tuck them into the dough. Cover the pans again and allow to rise until the dough reaches the top of the pans. About ½ to 1 hour.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, until the top is nicely browned and the bread sounds hollow when thumped. Serve in thick slices with lots of butter.
10.