Irish Barmbrack (Fruit Bread)
Ingredients
1 cup tea (cold, strong brewed)
¾ cup golden raisins
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup dried cherries
½ teaspoon dried orange peel (or the zest of 1 whole large orange)
1 large egg (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
2 cups self rising flour (1 cup self rising flour equal to 1 cup all-purpose flour w/1 ½ teaspoon baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt)
Directions
In a bowl, combine the dark steeped tea with dried fruits and candied peel (or orange zest), cover with cling film, and allow to soak refrigerated overnight.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper that has been greased.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the tea and fruit with egg, spices (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg) and brown sugar. Stir to combine thoroughly, then add all of the self rising flour.
Mix until all of the flour is incorporated into a wet dough, then transfer the dough into your loaf pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 1 hour then check the color of your baked bread (if it is getting too dark, cover with aluminum foil to keep from browning too deeply).
Your bread should be fully baked between 1 hour and 15-30 minutes. Transfer the baked loaf to a wire cooling rack to cool before slicing and serving.
