Traditionalwelshbarabrith Recipes

BARA BRITH

Steps:

• Pour hot tea over currants and raisins in a bowl; soak 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grease a sheet of parchment paper and use it to line a 2-pound loaf pan.
• Stir demerara sugar into tea and fruit mixture until dissolved completely.
• Mix flour and egg into the tea and fruit mixture until completely integrated into a batter.
• Spread batter evenly into the prepared bread pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden-brown, about 40 minutes. Cool in the bread pan 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

MAMGU'S BARA BRITH

Steps:

• Place the three tea bags into a jug and add the boiling water. Leave to brew for 5 minutes.
• Place the dried mixed fruit in a mixing bowl, pour over the tea and dispose of the tea bags. Leave overnight.
• Add the sugar to the mixture and stir until disolved. Next add the whole egg, the flour and finally the mixed spice and ground cinnamon. Mix until the mixture resembles a thick cake like batter.
• Grease a loaf tin and pour in the cake mixture. It should come up no higher than half way, as the cake will rise in the oven.
• Place on the middle shelf of a preheated oven at 150 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Once done, remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes or so until the cake comes away from the sides of the tin.
• Leave to cool on a cooling rack.
• Serve with butter and a nice hot cup of tea!

WELSH RABBIT

Steps:

• In a 2 quart saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in and blend the flour, salt, mustard and pepper. Stir in the milk and Worcestershire sauce. Continue stirring the mixture for 10 minutes, or until thickened.
• Stirring continuously, melt the cheese into the mixture and blend well. Serve immediately over warm toast.

TRADITIONAL WELSH BARA BRITH

Steps:

• This is Wales' traditional rich fruit bread.
• South Wales makes it with baking powder; Northerners prefer yeast as the raising agent. Either way it's delicious.
• Soak the dried fruit and sugar overnight in the tea.
• You can use either fresh tea, or the cold dregs from the teapot (this gives a good strong colour). Next day, sieve the flour and fold it it into the fruit. Mix in the lightly beaten egg.
• Line a small loaf-tin with buttered paper then tip in the mixture, smoothing it well into the corners.
• Bake in a gentle oven at 300 F (150 C) for 1-1/2 hours.
• Cool and store for at least 2 days in a tin so that it matures moist and rich.
• Traditionalists say you should never butter the Bara Brith, but it's lovely that way!

BARA BRITH (CURRANT BREAD) WELSH

Steps:

• Oven: 450F, Gas Mark 8 for 15 minutes: 375F, Gas Mark 5 for 45 minutes.
• Soak the fruit and candied peel in the water with the spice.
• Leave to steep in a warm place and use the warm spicy, strained water to mix the dough.
• Sift the flour and salt and rub in the lard; cream the yeast with the sugar and a little of the spiced water; mix this into the flour, together with the eggs and use enough of the water to give a firm, yet elastic dough.
• Knead well, leave to rise and knock back; blend in the drained fruit and knead again.
• Shape the dough into loaves and set into greased 1 lb tins in a warm place to prove; bake, reducing the temperature after the first 15 minutes.
• Originally, in some recipies, the fruit content would have been fresh currants or blackberries.
• Bara Brith is often served as part of the traditional Welsh tea.
• It can also be purchased at many of the small bakeries found throughout Wales.
• British Cookery (BTA/BFPC)