RUM HALLOWE'EN BRACK

High days and holy days, it seems, are the only times I drop by here. Despite the fact I bake EVERY Tuesday for The Great British Bake Off. Too much to do, too little time, my friends. Anyway, the new twist on my brack is rum. And it's yum! It came about because the heroine of my next novel, Becoming Belle (out Aug. 2018) eats rum cake with her father and I wanted to make it for Christmas. Hallowe'en seemed as good a time as any to try it.

I'm reducing wheat at the mo due to that stomach thing I picked up in China last year, so I've used a mixture of rice and spelt flour, but you can use any flour.

A bench, by night, on the grounds of Belle's Galway home,
Garbally Park, Ballinasloe

IRISH HALLOWE'EN BARMBRACK

RECIPE

150ml tea
50ml dark rum
225g mixed dried fruit
75g brown sugar
1 beaten egg
60g melted marg
125g wholegrain spelt flour
125g self raising rice flour
1tsp bread soda
1 tsp mixed spice

METHOD

- Soak the fruit, sugar, rum and tea in a bowl - leave until cold
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Grease and line the bottom of an 8" round tin (I used a 2lb loaf tin, this time)
- Add the melted marg to the fruit mix. Stir through.
- Add the beaten egg. Stir through.
- Sieve then fold in the flour, bread soda and spice
- Pour into the lined tin (insert wrapped coin or ring at this point, if using)
- Bake for 55 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean
- Cool in the tin for 10 mins then turn onto a wire rack.

Eat plain or buttered with a cup of tea. Delish!

TRICK OR TREAT FOR TEMPLE STREET 2014

I'm jetlagged so rather late baking my barmbrack and organising my Trick or Treat for Temple Street, But it's all go now. A few pics, a brack recipe, and a hope you are having a Happy Hallowe'en, wherever you are.

A witch eating curried pumpkin soup

Jack Skellington!

The barmbrack

IRISH HALLOWE'EN BARMBRACK

RECIPE

150ml tea
30ml whiskey
250g mixed dried fruit
75g brown sugar
1 beaten egg
45g melted marg
250g wholegrain spelt flour
1tsp bread soda
1 tsp mixed spice

METHOD

- Soak the fruit, sugar, whiskey and tea in a bowl - leave until cold
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Grease and line the bottom of an 8" round tin (I used a 2lb loaf tin, this time)
- Add the melted marg to the fruit mix. Stir through.
- Add the beaten egg. Stir through.
- Sieve then fold in the flour, bread soda and spice
- Pour into the lined tin (insert wrapped coin or ring at this point, if using)
- Bake for 55 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean
- Cool in the tin for 10 mins then turn onto a wire rack.

Eat plain or buttered with a cup of tea. Yum!

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN!

Brack and buns for Trick or Treat for Temple Street :)

See the ring poking out there?

I bought the paper cases in the USA

IRISH HALLOWE'EN BRACK

Happy Hallowe'en! Here is my brack recipe. The brandy really makes this cake - gives it a lovely richness. You could use whiskey or just use 210ml of tea if you don't want alcohol in the cake.

I had no ring to add to the cake this year so I wrapped a one cent coin in greaseproof paper and popped it in the centre of the brack. Traditionally, the person who finds the coin in their slice of brack will enjoy good fortune.

Eat plain or buttered with a cup of tea.

RECIPE

180ml tea
30ml brandy
250g raisins
75g brown sugar
1 beaten egg
25g melted marg
255g wholegrain spelt flour
1tsp bread soda
1 tsp mixed spice

METHOD

- Soak the fruit, sugar, brandy and tea in a bowl - leave until cold
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Grease and line the bottom of an 8" round tin
- Add the melted marg to the fruit mix. Stir through.
- Add the beaten egg. Stir through.
- Sieve then fold in the flour, bread soda and spice
- Pour into the lined tin (insert wrapped coin or ring at this point, if using)
- Bake for 55 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean
- Cool in the tin for 10 mins then turn onto a wire rack.

Hallowe'en breakfast with bat zogabongs

TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Happy Hallowe'en!! It's rainy and dark here in Galway - not much chance of a roaring bonfire, sadly. My Hallowe'en Brack recipe is here for any lastminuters. We had roasted pumpkin and peppers with garlic last night - mmm.

I was looking at the pumpkin seeds as I carved the Jack O' Lantern, thinking, Don't throw away those pumpkin seeds, eat them instead! OK, it turns out it involves a bit of work but it's nice work.

Firstly, pick all the pumpkin flesh from the seeds.

Rinse them in a colander.

Dry them overnight on a baking tray.

Pre-heat oven to 180°C.

Sprinkle with olive oil and salt and place in oven.

Roast for 35 minutes and you have a healthy, yummy snack.

If you don't eat the seeds straight away, store in  an airtight container once they have cooled down.

SPELT HALLOWE'EN BRACK

Juno admiring the brack

Here's a really easy tea brack recipe for Hallowe'en. It's loaf-shaped, not round, and the brandy gives it a lovely rich flavour. You could use whiskey or just use 180ml of tea if you don't want alcohol in the cake.

You can wrap a ring in greaseproof paper and bake it in the centre of the brack. Traditionally, the person who finds the ring in their slice of brack will be the next to marry.

Eat plain or buttered with a cup of tea.

RECIPE

150ml tea
30ml brandy
250g raisins
75g brown sugar
1 beaten egg
25g melted marg
255g wholegrain spelt flour
1tsp bread soda
1 tsp mixed spice

METHOD

- Soak the fruit, sugar, brandy and tea in a bowl - leave for 1 hour
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin (ready-made liners are great and no greasing needed!)
- Add the melted marg to the fruit mix. Stir through.
- Add the beaten egg. Stir through.
- Sieve then fold in the flour, bread soda and spice
- Pour into the lined tin (insert wrapped ring at this point, if using)
- Bake for 55 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean
- Cool in the tin for 10 mins then turn onto a wire rack.

VEGAN HALLOWE'EN BRACK

Happy Hallowe'en!

Here's a really easy tea brack recipe, that I adapted and veganised from recipes from Mary in Café Fresh and Nigella too. The only odd thing is that you soak the fruit and sugar in the tea 'overnight'. A few hours will do it though, I find - a minimum of 4 hours.

You can wrap a ring in greaseproof paper and bake it in the centre of the cake. Traditionally, the person who finds the ring in their slice of brack will be the next to marry.

RECIPE
180ml tea
350g fruit (1/3 each of dates, sultanas, raisins)
125g brown sugar
1 portion of No Egg (or 1 beaten egg for non-vegans)
25 g melted vegan marg
255g wholegrain spelt flour
1tsp bread soad
1 tsp mixed spice

METHOD
- Soak the fruit, sugar and tea in a bowl - leave overnight or for at least 4 hours
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin (ready-made liners are great and no greasing needed!)
- Add the NoEgg mix and melted marg to the fruit mix. Stir through.
- Fold in the flour, bread soda and spice
- Pour into the lined tin (insert wrapped ring at this point, if using)
- Bake for one hour, until a skewer comes out clean
- Cool in the tin for 10 mins then turn onto a wire rack.
- Lovely hot, cold or toasted with vegan marg.