Celebrate Halloween with an Irish ‘Fortune Telling Cake’

We celebrated Halloween the Irish way with chef Ciaran Deery, who showed us how to bake an Irish ‘Fortune Telling Cake’.

Barmbrack- Irish Fairytale Bread

Ingredients

200g Raisins
100g Sultanas
½ of an Orange/ Orange Zest
3 Irish tea (cold soak)
230g Self-rising flour
80g Melted Butter
1 teaspoon Mixed Spice (Cinnamon, Allspice & Nutmeg)
1  Egg (Beaten)
150g Soft brown sugar
¼ teaspoon Salt

For the Glaze
3 tablespoons Apricot Jam

For the Charms 
Add a Ring to be married within a year
Add a Coin to Be blessed with good fortune

Directions:
Soak the raisins, sultanas and orange zest in cold black tea overnight to absorb the flavour, the fruit will be nice and plump
Pre Heat the oven until it reaches 170C- 325F
Transfer the fruit to a large Bowl
Add the soft brown sugar, salt, flour and mixed spice
Add the beaten egg, mix all the ingredients
Place the Ring and Coin inside parchment paper and place inside the cake mix
Have baking tin pre lined with grease proof paper
Bake in the oven for 50 minutes to an hour until its fully cooked in the centre.
When the cake is fully cooked, melt down some Apricot Jam and use as a glaze.

The Cake should be served by cutting it into slices and adding Irish butter to compliment it.

There can be variations of the cake made with Guinness or Irish Whiskey.

Equipment required

Baking tin
Mixing Bowls/Spatula
Brush for Glazing
Mixing Bowls
Scale and Sieve
Measuring jug