Tea Brack (Irish Freckle Bread)

Tea Brack — a.k.a. Irish Freckle Bread — is a moist, close-grained, packed-with-fruit breakfast bread. The flavor of the whole wheat is discernible, yet not overpowering because it's complemented by just the right degree of sweetness. Interestingly, the recipe uses brewed tea as its liquid. If desired, substitute 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey for an equal amount of the tea.

Yield: one 8 inch round loaf | Baking: 60 min to 1 hr 10 min

Ingredients

• 1 cup brewed hot tea; Irish breakfast tea is a good choice
• 1 cup raisins, packed
• 1/2 cup currants, packed
• 1 cup pitted prunes, snipped into small pieces
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 cups Irish-Style Wholemeal Flour or King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/2 tablespoons coarse sparkling white sugar

Instructions

1. Pour the hot tea over the dried fruits in a medium-size bowl. Set the mixture aside to cool to lukewarm, about 1 hour.
2. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8 inch round cake pan.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Add the dried fruit, and any remaining liquid. Stir until thoroughly combined; the batter will be thick and stiff.
5. Add the egg, mixing until thoroughly combined.
6. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top evenly with the coarse sparkling sugar.
7. Bake the bread for 60 to 70 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out moist, but without clinging crumbs.
8. Remove it from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool.

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: King Arthur Flour

This recipe comes from our award-winning cookbook, The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion.