Irish Tea Cake – Was this Barmbrack Wack?

Every year I try to post at least one Irish recipe, and this time around I decided to do something a little out of the ordinary, and try my hand at Barmbrack. I love corned beef and cabbage as much as the next guy, but you can only film it so many different ways. Anyway, the thought of a nice, moist, dense, fruity tea cake for breakfast, with a cup of hot, black tea, sounded just about perfect, and so I started researching this ancient loaf…and researching…and researching, until I had seen and read so many recipes that I didn’t know which direction to go.

There are a huge variety of styles, from light, yeast-raised versions, to super-dense ones, similar to the often-maligned holiday fruitcake. So, I decided to just wing it, and use the force, which usually works out well, but this time, not so much. This is traditionally a Halloween treat, and my experience was equal parts trick and treat.

I’m hearing from my Irish friends on YouTube that I should have probably used baking soda, plus more tea to get a little more rise. They also say that using half wholegrain flour will inhibit the verticality as well. Notwithstanding my results, at the very least, I’ve hopefully made some of you aware of barmbrack, and maybe you’ll give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one 9” x 5” loaf pan:

2 cups warm black tea

1⁄2 cup golden raisins

1⁄2 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup dried currants

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole grain flour (I’m told this makes the loaf a lot heavier, so maybe use all regular flour)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (I’m told I should’ve probably added a teaspoon of baking soda)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1⁄4 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1⁄4 cup milk

2 tablespoons reserved black tea

1 tablespoon Irish whiskey or any whiskey

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/4 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons melted butter

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German Potato Dumplings (Kartoffelkloesse) – Dial-Up Some Delicious Dumplings

Sorry for the late upload, but I had some mysterious modem issues, and this German potato dumpling video took over 5 hours to upload! I was having flashbacks to those good, old dial-up AOL days, and they weren’t good flashbacks. I do miss that cool modem sound, but that's about it.

Anyway, it’s late, but I wanted to post the ingredient amounts, and maybe I'll add some more info tomorrow, although these are so basic that’s probably not necessary. The only tip I’ll give is that I think baking the potatoes works better than boiling them whole. Peeling, quartering, and boiling until tender will also work, but don’t overcook them, otherwise they'll absorb too much water.

By the way, if you’re German, or know the same things they do, I’d love to learn why we're sticking croutons in the middle of these things. I totally get the crumbs on top, but inside? If you have an explanation, I’d like love to hear it, and in the meantime, I really do hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 to 10 German Potato Dumplings:

2 large russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)

salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste

pinch of nutmeg

2 large eggs

1 cup flour

fresh chives to garnish

For the croutons/crumbs

1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup)

2 cups fresh bread cubes

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Kouign-Amann – Yas Queen!

The fact that Kouign-Amann (Pronounced “Queen-a-mahn”) have become a popular item in bakeries across America is quite a tribute to just how incredible they really are, since to stock something that no one can spell or pronounce is generally considered a retail sales no-no. As you may know, I pride myself on mispronouncing things, but even I don’t like to be corrected by a salesperson, and their judgmental, I can’t believe you just said “kooeegan-aman” look.

Yet, despite the difficult name, they’ve thrived for the very simple reason that this is one of the world’s great pastries. Maybe the greatest. I guess that depends on who you talk to, but the irresistible combination of sweet, salty, sticky, buttery, crispy, flaky, and tender, is hard to beat.

I guess you could just buy some frozen puff pasty, or croissant dough, and skip to the last step, but unlike many of those, the base here is a fairly lean bread dough, which I think is one of the secrets. A richer milk-based dough, which already contains lots of butter and sugar, won’t necessarily provide the same contrast.

Speaking of secrets, I think the real magic of these is the salt. Apparently the authentic ones are fairly salty, and just as savory, as they are sweet, but you don’t want to over do it. I suggest starting with less than I call for in your seasoned sugar mix, and then tasting on a wet finger to see where you’re at. Then, add more until you think it’s right.

Part of me hopes you have a bakery that does these nearby, so you can easily taste them for yourself, but another part of me hopes you don’t, so you’ll try to make them. Either way, you’re in for a huge treat. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 Kouign-Amann:

For the dough:

1 cup warm water

1 teaspoon dry active yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the seasoned sugar (mix, taste, and adjust):

2/3 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons of sea salt or kosher salt (less if you’re using a fine table salt)

For the rest:

8 ounces ice cold unsalted butter (2 sticks) for the pastry

1 tablespoon melted butter for the muffin pan

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My Big Fat Greek Baked Beans – Finally!

As I may have mentioned on Twitter several times, Michele and I have both been sick all week, so please pardon the lateness, and brevity of this post. The good news is this Greek-style baked beans recipe is very simple, and there’s not a lot of extra info I need to pass along.

One thing I will mention is that while these are baking, be sure to peek once in a while to see if you need to add more liquid. You can bake covered, but then you don’t get the crustification on top, so I prefer to bake uncovered, and stir in a splash of water, or two, if it looks like it’s getting too dry.

If you can find gigante beans, they really are the best, but Conona beans also work great, as will any other large dried bean. Just be sure to soak them properly, and simmer them until tender before proceeding to the baking step. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m climbing into my big, fat bed. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 portions:

1 pound dried Gigante, Conona, Lima, or other large dried bean (soaked overnight)

3 quarts cold fresh water to boil in

2 bay leaves

1 large red onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, sliced

2 cups tomato sauce or finely chopped fresh tomato

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons clover honey

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for the top

1 tablespoon kosher salt (2 teaspoon if using fine table salt)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

cayenne to taste

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 cups water, plus more as needed while baking
4 ounces feta cheese for the top

- Bake at 350 F. until beans are soft

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