Irish homes would traditionally be filled with the smell of baking bread over the open fire, and another delicious treat known as barmbrack becomes special in the weeks leading up to Halloween.

HISTORY OF BARMBRACK

This dried fruit-studded bread comes from the Irish ‘bairín breac’, which literally means speckled loaf.

While barmbrack is eaten all year round, it is only at Halloween that charms are added to the mix, each having a fortune-telling significance for the year ahead – and as this recipe for barmbrack shows, the fruits can be soaked in whiskey, tea, or both, which gives an added richness to the flavour.

Everyone in the family gets a slice of the bread, but you have to be careful when chewing and about what you find.

A ring signifies the discovery of true love and marrying, a thimble means you will never marry, a rag predicts poverty while a finding a coin foretells that you will be rich.

Apples have always been associated with Halloween, though in Ireland they should never be picked during this time because it was believed the púca (fairy shapeshifters) spat on them the night after Samhain.

Barmbrack Hidden Objects Meaning

Various items can be hidden in this fruit cake to foretell the fortune of those who finds it in their serve:

• A ring signifies the finder would soon be married.
• A thimble signifies the female finder would be a spinster whilst a button signifies the male finder would forever be a bachelor.
• A silver coin signifies the finder would become wealthy.
• A rag signifies the finder would stumble into poverty.
• A religious medal signifies the finder would live the rest of their life as a priest or a nun.

Barmbrack Irish Cake Recipe

For the fruit mix:

• 350g (1½ cups) sultanas
• 50ml (¼ cup) Bushmills whiskey
• Warm tea (enough to cover the sultanas)
• 1 lemon, juice and zested skin

For the dough:

• 450g (2 cups) strong bread flour
• A pinch of salt
• 15g (1tbsp) dried yeast
• 280ml (9.5fl oz) milk, at room temperature
• 50g (3½tbsp) butter, softened
• 50g (3½tbsp) sugar
• 1 egg, beaten

For the topping:

• 1tbsp butter
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• ½tsp ground mixed spice

Method

1. Soak the sultanas in the whiskey, warm tea and lemon juice for 30-45 minutes, then drain off the liquid.
2. To make the dough: put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and bring together with a wooden spoon.
3. Knead on a floured surface with your hands for 5 minutes.
4. Put the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave for about 1 hour, until the mixture has risen and fills the bowl.
5. Knead the dough again on a floured surface, adding the soaked fruit until evenly spread throughout.
6. Place in a 20-23cm buttered cake tin and cover with a damp tea towel.
7. Leave in a warm place for about 20 minutes until the mixture rises up to the top of the tin.
8. Bake for 50 minutes in oven preheated to 200C.
9. For the topping: cream the butter and spices together until soft.
10. Remove the barmbrack from the oven. Immediately spread spiced butter on top. Leave to cool.

Thanks to Ireland.com for sharing this recipe. Learn more about Halloween in Ireland and find more recipes here.

Want to visit Ireland during Halloween (highly recommend)? Use our How To Pack A Backpack For A 2-Week Vacation post to pack for your trip.

Looking for something new and delicious to serve at your next brunch get together with girlfriends? I have the perfect idea for you, Stuffed Cornbread Bites. This recipe combines the deliciousness of cornbread with the goodness of a black bean and corn salsa. It is quick and easy to make and looks pretty on the table.

My girlfriends know that while the food will be delicious and the wine ever flowing everything else will be pretty simple. As much as I’d like to decorate and make pretty table displays I simply don’t have the time or energy.

My house will be mostly clean (just keepin’ it honest, I’m always jealous of those bloggers that show photos of their perfect home and stunning tablescapes, I need to accept that it’s never going to happen here). However, there will be great conversations and, at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters…..to reconnect with my friends.

Traveling as much as I do we can go months without seeing one another so brunch at my house has become standard when I’m home.

Don’t think you have to have the “perfect” everything before you invite friends over, just pick up the phone and call. In a pinch you can meet at a park and pack a picnic. This recipe travels well and can be served at room temperature.

What I love most about making stuffed cornbread bites is that the filling is easy to switch up. Short on time, open a can of chili, drain of the liquid and use the remaining ingredients to fill the cornbread.

Prefer something a little sweeter? Spoon jam into the centers. It is such a versatile recipe that it shows up quite often on my brunch table.

I used P.A.N. Cornmeal to make the corn muffins. P.A.N. is the number one cornmeal in South America, but it’s finally making its way into kitchens across the USA. Cornmeal is a staple food around the world, which means I could host an ethnic food night at my house and probably cook my way around the world using cornmeal.

Be sure to visit the P.A.N. Cornmeal tumblr page for a little culinary exploration and recipe ideas at https://panrecipes.tumblr.com.

Ok, let me show you how easy it is to make. Gather together all the ingredients you’ll need for the cornbread muffins.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and the wet ingredients together in a smaller bowl and then combine the two together.

Place cupcake liners in a muffin tin and then add cornbread mixture. Cups should be about 2/3rds full the recipe will make 12 cornbread muffins.

After the muffins are baked and cooled remove the centers and fill with ingredients of choice. That’s it. Easy. Peasy.

Stuffed Cornbread Bites Recipe

1 cup P.A.N. cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup oil
1 cup milk

FOR SALSA

1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1/8 cup chopped onion
1-2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup feta cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the P.A.N. cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well.

In a small bowl mix together the egg, oil and milk. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry stirring well.

Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners. Fill cupcake wells 2/3rds full.

Place in oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool.

SALSA Directions:

In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients.

ASSEMBLE

Using a spoon or melon baller remove the centers of the muffin. Fill with salsa. Serve at room temperature.

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