WALES: Bara Brith
1 lb SR flour (500g)
1 lb mixed dried fruit (500g)
2 tablespoons warm orange marmalade (in US use 4 tablespoons)(breakfast preserve)
1 beaten egg
6 ozs brown sugar (300g)
1/2 pint warm, strained tea (250ml)
1 teaspoon mixed spice

Place fruit and sugar in mixing bowl and soak overnight in the strained tea. Sift the flour and spice and warm the marmalade. Add flour, marmalade and beaten egg to soaked fruit. Mix well, pour the mixture into a greased loaf tin. Bake for 1 1/2 hours on gas Mark 4, electric 180'C or 350'F. Cool on wire rack.
Serve sliced with butter.

IRELAND: Barmbrack
3 lbs/350 g flour
2 oz/55 g yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 pints/900ml milk
4 oz/110g butter
4 oz /110g sugar
1 lb/450 g sultanas
4 oz/110g currants and raisins mixed
4 oz/110g mixed peel
1 teaspoon spice

Sift together all the dry ingredients except the sugar into a bowl. Mix the yeast with a teaspoon sugar and half the milk. Sprinkle a little flour on top nd leave in a warm place for 10 minutes. Mix in flour, add remaining liquid, and mix thoroughly. Knead into a ball and turn on to a floured surface. Knead for 15 minutes or until the dough no longer feels sticky. Punch down, and flatten into a large round. Place margarine, sugar, and dried fruit in the middle and work these ingredients into the dough by kneading it until they are evenly distributed. Return the dough to greased bowl, let rise for another 30 minutes. Divide in half and shape to fit loaf tins. Cover and leave to rise until dough reaches top of tins. Brush with milk and bake for about 50 minutes at 400'F-200'C or until hollow.
Serve sliced with butter.

8 oz (250g) SR flour
3 oz (110g) lard
2 eggs
3 oz (110g) currants
3 oz (110g) sugar
pinch salt

Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Cut up the lard (use margarine or butter if preferred) and rub in with fingertips. Add sugar and currants and mix with lightly beaten egg to a firm dough. Roll out onto floured board to 1/4 inch (1 centimetre) thickness and cut with a round, 2 1/2 inch (7cm) cutter. Place the round Welshcakes onto a greased, preheated griddle, solid plate, or thick flat pan. The first side will take about 4 minutes; turn heat off, turn cakes over and cook second side for about 3 minutes (or till golden brown both sides).
Makes 16-20 cakes. Sprinkle with sugar, serve warm.
(With butter if you must!)

1/2 lb minced pork cooked
1/4 lb minced bacon cooked
1/4 lb mixed vegetables, cooked, chopped: beans, carrots, onions, turnips, potato, corn, peas, leek ... any or all of these
Salt, pepper
1 cup mature cheese grated
packet of flaky pastry squares each 10"x10" (or make your own flaky pastry, enough to produce 3 sheets 10"x10")

Mix together the pork, the bacon and vegetables, salt pepper and cheese. Place pastry on floured board and cut sheet in half. Place 1/6 of the mixture in the centre. Gather up the corners of the pastry and form a shell where the edges meet. Pierce the pastry with a fork.
Repeat until you have six oggies. Lightly brush the pastry with milk. Place on a greased tray in a preheated oven at 175'C for an hour or until the oggies are golden brown.
Serve with rich brown gravy, chips (fries) and salad.

4 egg whites, little salt, whipped till standing in peaks
8 oz lemon juice
2 dessert spoons honey
few drops green colour

Put lemon juice into blender with honey and blend thoroughly. Add egg whites and enough colouring to make drink blarney green!
Pour into six glasses and top with tiny mint leaf. 

4-6 potatoes
Milk
Beaten egg
Salt, pepper
3 tablespoons butter
Chopped onion, parsley, grated carrot.

Peel and boil the potatoes in a large saucepan. When they are soft and ready for mashing, drain off the water and place potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Using a strong fork, mash the potatoes until they are light and fluffy.
Add about half the butter, the beaten egg and the seasoning, the onion, parsley and carrot, and gradually add the milk, mxing to the consistency of a good, stiff dough which can be shaped to make patties or cakes. Some people add a little flour, but too much spoils the taste.

Remove potato mixture from the bowl and place on a very lightly floured board, roll out to a thickness of about 2.5 cm. Using the largest size biscuit cutter, or a very sharp knive, cut out rounds from the potato mix.
Place potato cakes in the refrigerator, while you ...

Take a heavy frying pan and place it on the heat (not the hottest setting; the next one down is all right on my stove). Add the rest of the butter and when it has melted, but before it starts to sizzle, place enough of the potato cakes into the pan to fit in easily and to allow for turning.

Brown for several minutes, turn; then repeat the process until the cake is golden-brown all over. Remove from pan and place on paper towel to drain. Add a little more butter and cook the remaining cakes.

They can be served with salad, or with cooked green vegetables, or with a cheese sauce.
(I used this recipe with variations dependent on my pocket when I was a young single mother with two children to feed and not much money. They loved it, and that was a coup as well. A warming dish which can be dressed up or down for any occasion or season.)

Cath would love to hear from real Celts with genuine, traditional recipes!

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