SAMHUINN: Bairín Breac
Bairín Breac or Barm Brack is served in Ireland on Oíche Shamhna or Hallowe’en which is celebrated the eve of the Celtic New Year holiday Samhain. It is custom to bake this fruitcake with a Ring-marriage or continued romance in your marriage, a Coin-a prosperous year, a Piece of Wood-travel, a bit of Cloth-poverty (all are wrapped separately in a bit of parchment paper and added before baking). Some include a thimble (spinsterhood) and a button (bachelorhood) as well.
1/2c. lukewarm milk
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp fresh yeast
2c. flour
1 tsp. mixed spice
pinch salt
1 egg
3 TB butter
2c. mixed fruits (currants, raisins, sultanas, candied peel)
2TB superfine sugar
In a small bowl, add sugar and yeast to milk and let sit 5 mins. or foamy. In a large bowl, sift in flour, superfine sugar and spice and rub in butter until crumbly and coarse. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the yeast mixture and the egg into the centre. Beat with a spoon for about 10 min until a good dough forms. Work the fruits and salt in by hand and kneaded well. Put into a warm, greased bowl covered well and allow to rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in bulk.
Knead lightly and place into a lightly greased cake tin, cover lightly and allow a second rise of 30 minutes. Bake near the top of a 400* oven for 45 minutes. When done a glaze can be made from 2tsp of sugar dissolved into 3TB of boiling water which is then drizzled over the brack.
