Barmbrack or Bairin Breac -- Bairin means loaf and Breac – speckled due to the fruit…
Is a great fun part of the Irish Halloween custom. The Halloween Brack traditionally contained various objects baked into the bread and was used as a sort of fortune telling game. In the barnbrack were: a pea, a stick, a piece of cloth, a small coin (originally a silver sixpence) and a ring. Each item, when received in the slice, was supposed to carry a meaning to the person concerned: the pea, the person would not marry that year; the stick, would have an unhappy relationship; the cloth or rag, might have bad luck; the coin, would enjoy good fortune or be rich; and the ring, would be wed within the year. Other articles added to the brack include a religious coin to symbolise going into the priesthood or to the Nuns.
Why not create your own little fortune game…
A Very Quick Barmbrack
1 ½ cups of mixed fruit
8oz/225g self raising flour
1 egg beaten
2 teasp cinnamon
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
3 tablespoons of milk
300ml/1 good sized mug of cold tea
Honey or golden syrup
Some rings wrapped in parchment paper.
Soak fruit overnight in the cold tea, strain next morning
Whisk egg, milk, cinnamon, and mix in strained fruit. Stir in the brown sugar until well combined ensuring there are no lumps. Sieve in the flour and fold into the mixture Grease a loaf tin and pop the mixture into it.
Transfer to oven and cook at 180 for 40 minutes - (Cover with tinfoil after 20 mins) and cook until when skewer is inserted it comes out clean (which is about 40 mins)
Melt a tablespoon of honey or golden syrup and brush over the brack when nearly cool. Wrap in greaseproof paper and keep in a sealed container.
Some fun stuff for kids…
Toffee Apples
6 dessert apples
6 lollypop sticks for holding apples
225g brown sugar
25g butter
110ml water
2 tbsp golden sugar
½ tsp vinegar
Sprinkles
Pop the sugar and water into a saucepan together, stir over a moderate heat until sugar is dissolved (its not cloudy) add the vinegar, golden syrup and butter.
Bring to the boil and cook without stirring until it reaches whats
called (hard crack stage) 138c or hardens into a ball when dropped into a jug of cold water. This takes about 10 mins of boiling time.
Pierce each apple with its wooden stick , once the toffee is ready dip each apple into the hot toffee, swirl it round to coat it fully. Scatter a few sprinkles over the top..
Leave to set on a lightly oiled tray. If you’re not going to eat immediately wrap in cellophane to keep.
Also a great idea for pressies is to wrap in cellophane with ribbons.
Chocolate Dipped Apples
6 Irish eating apples
225 grams chocolate
2 tbls of butter
Sprinkles, or whatever decorations you fancy..
Simply melt the chocolate & butter over a pan of simmering water
Spike the apples with lollipop sticks
Twirl them around in the hot chocolate mixture
Have the sprinkles on a plate ready to dip the choc apples into... simple but very delicious.
Wrap in cellophane with ribbon for a great pressie.....
As well as carving pumpkins why not try some really easy pumpkin dishes that will have you buying pumpkins at any time of the year…
Pumpkins have become extremely easy to buy, here are some great dishes to help you get cooking with pumpkin… have a look in the shops at the different varieties and don’t forget the beautiful butternut squash, from the same family but really sweet and delicious..
Some quick ideas….
Salty Pumpkin Seeds, scoop out the seeds, wash, dry pop on a non stick baking tray for about 7 mins @ 180, remove sprinkle with sea salt and use as a snack or sprinkle over soups & salads....
Roast pumpkin as a side dish – cut pumpkin in half scoop out the seeds, chop into large sized chunks drizzle with olive oil, pop onto a baking tray in a preheated oven for 15 mins or until tender.
Creamy Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Mash – cut pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, quarter and peel. Chop into bite sized cubes. Peel sweet potato cut same sized as pumpkin, steam for 15 mins or until tender. Mash until smooth with 2 tbls of warmed cream & salt & pepper.
Make a delicious risotto w roast Pumpkin, fresh sage, mushroom & parmesan
Add cubed pumpkin to a veggie curry in lieu of potatoes.
Small varieties include the Orange Minikin, Golden Nugget & Gem Squash are delicious roasted whole or stuffed with rice, nuts & spinach..
Make a delicious soup heart warming pumpkin & potato soup – use 4 potatoes & 1 medium pumpkin cubed & peeled.. you can either use veggie stock our how about spicing it up with chilli, coriander & coconut milk...
Baked pumpkin with penne & basil butter
Serves 4
1kg pumpkin
100g real butter
600g penne pasta
80g pinenuts
¾ cup shredded basil
4 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
Cut pumpkin into big bite size pieces, place on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and cook @ 220 until tender…
Meanwhile cook the pasta in lots of boiling ½ teasp of salted water until just al dente. Heat butter over medium heat in a small pan until foaming add garlic, cook for 2 mins then add pinenuts, cook till golden be careful not to burn
Remove from heat, add basil.
Drain pasta, add the basil butter, pumpkin & 2 tablespoons of parmesan combine and serve immediately… with the extra parmesan in a little bowl on the side...
Asiany Butternut Squash Ginger & Coconut Soup
Serves 6
1 large butternut squash peeled and roughly chopped
3 medium sized potatoes peeled & chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
2 inch piece fresh ginger grated
1 large onion chopped
1 litres veggie stock or about 5 cups
1 cup of coconut milk
1 tablespoon of peanut oil
pinch of nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
Season with chopped coriander
Heat the peanut oil and pop in the onion & garlic cook until tender.
Pop in the squash, potatoes & half the grated ginger.. cook for a few mins.
Add ½ the veggie stock allowing the veggies to soak up the liquid then add the remaining stock and simmer until veggies are tender.
Blend soup and then gradually stir in coconut milk and pinch of nutmeg..
Season to taste and serve with scattered coriander on top..
Served with crusty bread…..
Warm Roast Squash Spinach & Feta Salad
1 medium butternut squash
1 red onion thinly sliced
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
2 tbls of pinenuts
1 orange juiced
1 handful of feta cheese cubed
1 tsp of paprika
2 tbls of olive oil
Slice the butternut in half, scoop out the seeds, chop into cubes without the skin on. Heat the oven to 200 pop the squash on a tray and drizzle with olive oil.
Pop the pinenuts onto a baking tray and cook for about 5 mins until golden. Remove from tray pop on a plate.
Heat a pan with the remainder of olive oil and cook the onion for about 2 mins then add the paprika and pumpkin.
Leave to cool
Combine the butternut mixture with the spinach, transfer to a bowl
Scatter the pinenuts and feta gently thru the spinach.
Lastly squeeze over the fresh orange juice
Colcannon
Comfort food at its best – this recipe differs depending on where you come from in Ireland…
6 medium sized potatoes 1 cup boiling milk
1 medium green cabbage Salt & Pepper
3 tablespoons butter
Cook potatoes in their jackets in cold salted water bring to the boil and after 10 mins strain off most of the water.
Place lid on pan and allow to steam until fully cooked, this method steams the potatoes and prevents them from getting too mushy…
Remove dark leaves from cabbage and cut into quarters, and then slice finely. Barely cover cabbage in water add a little salt and cook until tender. Mash potatoes, cabbage butter, salt & pepper, and boiling milk until combined nicely… just delicious..
Variations…
- • Add some finely sliced onions boiled in milk
- • Cook 2 parsnips and combine into potato & cabbage mixture
- • Ulster Champ, 2 cups of peas & 4 tablespoons of chopped parsley
- • Top with a fried or poached egg.
To serve you just place a few good heaped tablespoons onto the centre of the plates, place a knob of butter on top and scatter with chopped parsley..
How about cooking some fab ham to go with the Colcannon?
I’ve found the best way to cook a ham is to first steep it for a couple of hours in cold water, then change water and bring to the boil..
If you don’t have time to do this then bring ham to the boil in cold unsalted water.. strain once boiled and refill with cold water bring back to the boil and repeat the process before settling down to a simmer… this method rids the ham of excess salt.
Cooking times vary a little however if you allow 20 mins per pound and then check by inserting a a skewer into the centre if it comes away easily when inserted into centre its perfectly cooked if not allow another 10 mins and try again.
Drain all the water from ham, transfer to a baking dish, leave to cool a little and then trim ham of excess fat..
Meanwhile make a Honey Mustard Glaze
6 tablespoons of brown sugar
4 tablespoons of honey
2 heaped tablespoons of wholegrain mustard
Combine the above ingredients in a bowl, coat the entire ham with the glaze and roast @ 180 for 20 minutes… cool a little before slicing..
Quick but tasty alternatives
- • Butcher Thick Smokey bacon rashers
- • Butcher Gammon steaks
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