Halloween Barmbrack

Halloween is a terrific time to have a party. In Ireland, a barmbrack is a must. The word barm comes from an Old English word, beorma, which means ‘yeasted fermented liquor’. The word brack comes from the Irish word breac, meaning ‘speckled’ – which it is, with dried fruit and candied peel. Halloween has always been associated with fortune-telling and divination, so various objects were traditionally wrapped up and hidden in the cake mixture – a ring, a coin, a p