Irish Brack (Barmbrack, Fruit Bread)

Ingredients

• Tea

  Brewed, prepared with tap water, decaffeinated

  300g

• Sultanas

  Tesco

  300g

• Wheat flour

  White, cake, enriched

  225g

• Ground Mixed Spices

  Tesco

  1 teaspoon or 6g

• Applesauce

  Unsweetened, without added ascorbic acid, canned

  67g

Directions

1. Put the tea bags into a medium-sized heatproof bowl.
2. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags.
3. Add the brown sugar to the water, stir.
4. Add the mixed fruit, stir well.
5. Cover the bowl loosely with a clean, dry tea towel and leave on the counter at room temperature to soak (overnight, or for 8 hours)
6. After the fruit has soaked long enough, heat your oven to 325F (170C).
7. Prepare a 9x5 loaf pan, grease with butter, and line with a long strip of parchment paper (lengthwise, long enough to use as 'handles' to help pull the bread out when finished)
8. Remove the tea bags (squeeze the bags to remove the liquid before discarding)
9. Sift the flour, salt, mixed spice and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.
10. Add the pieces of butter to the bowl and rub in until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
11. Add the beaten egg and the fruit/sugar/tea mixture and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
12. Transfer the heavy, sticky mass to the prepared tin and spread evenly.
13. Bake in the heated oven for 1 - 1 1/4 hours until well risen and dark golden brown, and a wooden skewer or cocktail stick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
14. Leave to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a round bladed knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the loaf and carefully lift it out (using the ends of the paper strip) on to a wire rack.
15. Wait until completely cold before slicing.
16. The loaf will be even better if you wrap it in foil or store in a airtight container and leave it to mature for 1-2 days before slicing.
17. Recipe by: Mimi J Kent (source: https://mimijkent.com/2019/11/07/not-your-grandmothers-fruit-cake/)