Gluten-Free Barmbrack Loaf
A Gluten-Free Barmbrack Loaf that’s perfect for Saint Patrick’s Day.
Gluten-Free Barmbrack Loaf Recipe
Just a quick post today, to share a gluten-free barmbrack loaf, a version of the Irish quick bread. It’s traditionally served around Halloween or the new year but since today is St. Patrick’s Day in America I thought it would be fun to do an Irish-inspired recipe. “Bairín breac” — which comes from the Irish bairín, meaning loaf and breac meaning speckled — is so easy to do gluten-free, with a simple blend of almond flour and arrowroot. I did a combination of regular and golden raisins here, soaked over night in black tea, though you could do either one alone. A little bit of coconut sugar rounds out the rich flavor of this naturally sweet loaf that is perfect with afternoon tea or as a morning snack.
This is how James Joyce described barmbrack in a short story from The Dubliners: “The fire was nice and bright and on one of the side-tables were four very big barmbracks. These barmbracks seemed uncut; but if you went closer you would see that they had been cut into long thick even slices and were ready to be handed round at tea.” As I am quite fond of the idea of tea-time, especially by a fire, this sounds just right.
Til next time – N x
Need substitutions? Swap tiger nut or another nut flour for the almond flour and tapioca for the arrowroot. Try maple syrup or brown sugar instead of the coconut sugar.
Gluten-Free Barmbrack Loaf
Ingredients
- 2 cups/260 g almond flour
- ½ cup/70 g arrowroot
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine grain sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup 1/4 cup coconut sugar or maple syrup
- ¼ cup black tea
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup golden raisins
Instructions
- Soak the raisins overnight: In a medium bowl, place raisins, 2 tea bags, and 1 1/2 cup boiling water. Let this steep for about 10-12 hours
- After soaking the raisins, drain the tea and reserve ¼ cup. Remove the tea bags.
- Preheat oven to 350° F degrees and lightly grease a 9×5 loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl combine the almond flour, arrowroot, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce, coconut sugar, and tea. Stir in the raisins. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan, place in the oven, and bake for 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool, 10 minutes, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely. Let loaf cool completely before serving. Loaf will keep, well wrapped in the fridge, for 5 days.