[Sca-cooks] Barm Brack

[morgana.abbey at juno.com]

OK, here's the recipe, liberated from Nick Malgieri's "How to Bake"

Barm Brack
sponge:
3/4 c milk
1/2 c water
approx 4 tsp yeast
1 1/2 c flour

Warm the milk and water to about 110F. Pour into a smallish bowl and whisk in the yeast and flour. Cover the bowl and let rise at room temp for about 30 minutes, until doubled.

dough:
1 1/2 c raisins
1 c candied lemon peel
6 Tbl unsalted butter
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
2 eggs
3 c flour

Soften the raisins and peel in warm water and drain thoroughly.
Beat the butter with the sugar, salt and spices until smooth.  Add the eggs and then the sponge. Add the flour, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.  (this is on a floured surface, remember)
Grease the big bowl and a cover for same, put the dough in and let it rise about an hour, again until doubled.

Punch it down and knead in the now drained fruit.  Put it back in the bowl, cover and let rise again. This time for 30 minutes.

Grease 2 round cake pans and line with greased paper.  Divide the dough and put it in the pans to rise for an hour, covered with a towel.

Preheat the oven to 400F and set the rack to the middle of the oven.  Once the cakes are doubled (that hour thing), bake for 45 minutes, until brown and really puffy.  Pick test them.

Cool on racks 5 minutes, then unmold and cool completely.  Freezes really well.

As for staff gifts, I gave my staff towels.  A nice clean hand towel for everyone.  And a nummy bit that only we had.

Morgana

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