Recipe; Lana Pringle's Barm Brack

Lana Pringle's Barm Brack

In Ireland we always love to have something "in the tin" in case someone drops in for a cup of tea. This moist fruit bread packed with juicy fruit, keeps wonderfully well and is traditionally served sliced and buttered. I particularly treasure this recipe, which was given to me by Lana Pringle, who lives at the other side of the village at Shanagarry, Co Cork. Her breads, cakes and biscuits are legendary among her friends Lana's confections are hand-made, in the real sense of the word. She dislikes the din made by food processors, so all her cakes are creamed, beaten and whisked laboriously by hand and baked in the temperamental Aga.

› 400g (14 oz) dried fruit, raisins and sultanas

› 50g (2 oz) cherries

› 50g (2 oz) chopped candied peel

› 110g (4 oz) soft brown sugar

› 110g (4 oz) granulated sugar

› 450g (15 fl oz) tea

› 400g (14 oz) plain white flour

› 1/8 teaspoon of baking powder

› 1 egg, free-range and organic

› 3 tins 10 x 15 x 7.5cm deep (4 x 61/4 x 3 inch deep) or 2 tins 25.5 x 38 x 6.5cm deep (5 x 8 x 21/2 inch deep)

Put raisins and sultanas into a bowl, cover with tea (Lana occasionally uses a mixture of Indian and Lapsang Souchong, but any good strong tea will do) and leave overnight to allow the fruit to plump up. Next day add the halved cherries, chopped candied peel, sugar and egg and mix well. Sieve the flour and baking powder and stir in thoroughly. The mixture should be softish, add a little more tea if necessary 50ml (2 fl oz).

Grease the tins with melted butter (Lana uses old tins, heavier gauge than are available nowadays, light modern tins may need to be lined with silicone paper for extra protection.)

Divide the mixture between the three tins and bake in a moderate oven 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 40 minutes approx.

Lana bakes her barmbracks in the Aga, after 40 minutes she turns the tins around and gives them a further 10 minutes approx.* Leave in the tins for about 10 minutes and then remove and cool on a wire rack.

*If you are using two tins the barm bracks will take 1 hour approx.