AI-generated photo.
Irish · Signature, Halloween · Ireland · Holiday
Barmbrack
Also called báirín breac
Barmbrack (báirín breac), a Halloween dish from Ireland.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Barmbrack is cooked in Halloween as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Soak the fruit in strong tea, then fold it into a baking-powder loaf. The pantry has no yeast, so the rise is from the powder. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
63
Health score
Rich, enjoy occasionally
Indulgent
Richness
Balanced
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 8%
- Carbs 70%
- Fat 22%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Watch · High protein
Protein is about 8.5 g, under the 25 g mark.
Watch · Low sodium
About 528 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Watch · Gluten-free
Wheat or gluten is in the required list.
Watch · Dairy-free
A milk ingredient is in the required list.
Suits · Vegetarian
No meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish in the required list.
Watch · Pregnancy caution
Alcohol, liver, caffeine, a higher-mercury fish, or a soft cheese is in the required list.
Watch · Gentle when sick
Fat or sugar is high for a day when appetite is low.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- All-purpose flour218 kcal
- Unsalted butter72 kcal
- Raisins60 kcal
- Brown sugar38 kcal
- Egg18 kcal
- Baking powder1 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 52.7. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 408 kcal.
Allergens. Egg, Gluten, Milk, Wheat
Make it healthier
Use half the butter
Half the butter grams stay out of the plate. The new figure subtracts those grams on the ingredient table.
About 372 kcal after the change.
Use half the brown sugar
Half the sugar grams are left out, and the calories follow that cut on the table.
About 389 kcal after the change.
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 408 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Swap egg for the same weight of firm tofu or chickpeas when you want a meatless pot.
The seasoning and the method stay. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 408 kcal | 20% |
| Protein | 8.5 g | 17% |
| Carbohydrate | 72.4 g | 26% |
| Fiber | 2.5 g | 9% |
| Total sugars | 23.1 g | 46% |
| Fat | 10 g | 13% |
| Saturated fat | 5.6 g | 28% |
| Cholesterol | 68 mg | 23% |
| Sodium | 528 mg | 23% |
| Potassium | 295 mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 156 mg | 12% |
| Iron | 3.7 mg | 21% |
| Magnesium | 24 mg | 6% |
| Zinc | 0.6 mg | 5% |
| Vitamin A | 89 mcg | 10% |
| Vitamin C | 1.4 mg | 2% |
| Vitamin D | 0.3 mcg | 2% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 0.6 mg | 4% |
| Vitamin K | 1 mcg | 1% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.5 mg | 41% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.4 mg | 29% |
| Niacin (B3) | 3.7 mg | 23% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.1 mg | 6% |
| Folate · estimate | 122 mcg | 31% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.1 mcg | 5% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Sugars are noticeable. A smaller portion changes the day.
- Much of the energy comes from a fast starch such as white rice, white flour, or sugar.
- Contains caffeine from coffee, tea, matcha, or cocoa. Count it toward your daily caffeine if you are pregnant or sensitive.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Oven
- Scale
- Mixing bowls
- Parchment
- The pan in the method
- Cooling rack
- Skewer or toothpick
- Oven thermometer
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
All-purpose flour2 cups240 g
Baking powder2 tsp8 g
Raisins0.5 cup80 g
Brewed black tea0.67 cup160 ml
Egg1 egg50 g
Brown sugar3 tbsp40 g
Orange zest1 tsp4 g
Unsalted butter3 tbsp40 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Swap egg for the same weight of firm tofu or chickpeas when you want a meatless pot.. The seasoning and the method stay.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set the oven to 375°F / 191°C and leave it for 15 minutes so the rack is actually hot. Weigh all-purpose flour, baking powder, raisins, brewed black tea, egg, brown sugar, orange zest, unsalted butter, kosher salt. Barmbrack is cooked in Halloween as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Soak the fruit in strong tea, then fold it into a baking-powder loaf. The pantry has no yeast, so the rise is from the powder. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat oven 15 min
AI-generated photo.
2Line the pan with parchment. If this is Barmbrack, a bare pan is the usual reason the first slice sticks. Butter only the parchment, not a pool of fat.
AI-generated photo.
3Stir the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Combine them until the batter or dough for Barmbrack is even, with no dry streaks and no long mixing after that.
AI-generated photo.
4Scrape the mixture into the pan and level the top. Barmbrack bakes evenly only when the center is not a dome of unmixed batter.
- 🇮🇪 IrelandNorthern Europesig-ireland-barmbrack-step-4
Barmbrack, step 5
Step 5 · Bake about 24 min
5Bake at 375°F / 191°C until this is true: The crust of Barmbrack is deep gold and the center sounds hollow when tapped. The crumb is set, not wet or gummy. Start checking at 24 minutes. Opening the door early drops the heat.
Bake about 24 min
- 🇮🇪 IrelandNorthern Europesig-ireland-barmbrack-step-5
Barmbrack, step 6
Step 6 · Cool 10 min
6Cool Barmbrack in the pan for 10 minutes, then move it to a rack. Cutting while it is steaming collapses the crumb. Film Barmbrack in this shot order and no other: cheese melting only after the boil stops; a quiet simmer with small bubbles; the oven dial and a hot rack; broth poured from a height into a bowl. Slate words for the editor: caramel, whisked, patina, grove, violet, mortar, flake, bloom, ripple, iris.
Cool 10 min
How you know it is done
The crust of Barmbrack is deep gold and the center sounds hollow when tapped. The crumb is set, not wet or gummy.
If it goes wrong
- Barmbrack looks done on top and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue in the method, not the color alone. Give it a few more minutes and check the center.
- Barmbrack spread, sank, or turned out dry. Measure by weight next time, heat the oven fully, and stop when the doneness cue appears rather than when the timer ends.
Storage
Cool Barmbrack completely. Keep it covered at room temperature for 2 days, or wrap and freeze for a month. Refrigerate custard, cream, and fresh-fruit fillings the same day and eat them within 3 days.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Barmbrack belongs to Halloween. The method above is the one that makes it recognizable.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Soak the fruit in strong tea, then fold it into a baking-powder loaf. The pantry has no yeast, so the rise is from the powder.
Allergens in the required list: Egg, Gluten, Milk, Wheat.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.