Traditional Welsh Recipes

Bara Brith

 Un-yeasted bara brith – by the Williams family of Llandeilo. Kindly sent in by Sandie Reed, who lives in the Scottish Borders but has relatives in Carmarthenshire.

12fl. oz. cold tea
7oz.soft brown sugar,br. 12oz. mixed dried fruit (or 10 oz sultanas, raisins, jumbo sultanas and currants plus 2 oz whole citron peel (the green one) chopped
7oz. soft dark brown/molasses sugar
10oz. unbleached (pref organic) plain flour
2 tsp of baking powder
1 slightly rounded tsp freshly ground mixed spice
1 large organic free range egg, well beaten

2 X 1lb loaf tins, greased and lined.

Soak the fruit and sugar in the tea overnight then stir in the sugar and mix well. Sieve the flour, baking powder and spice together and mix thoroughly into the fruit mixture. Stir in the beaten egg until everything is well mixed. Divide the batter into two 1 lb loaf tins tins and bake at 180C for 40-45 mins or until the skewer test works.  The time does depend on the depth of your tins. It tastes better after being kept a couple of days in an airtight tin when the top will have gone a bit sticky.  You can brush the tops with runny honey while still warm if you like, but the natural stickiness is preferable.  Slice and spread thickly with Welsh butter if your cholesterol level can stand it!  Keeps well in a tin ..

2 x 1lb loafs.