Winter Brack and Women's Christmas: A Festive Culinary Tradition

Highlighted in the pages of "Bake," a cookbook celebrating the talents of Irish women bakers, Winter Brack emerges as a delectable treat infused with an abundance of fruit, warming spices, almonds, and orange zest. This culinary creation takes center stage during Twelfth Night, a unique and vibrant celebration observed in the southwestern regions of Ireland, specifically in Cork and parts of Kerry.

Twelfth Night, occurring on January 6th, marks the culmination of the Christmas season. It is a time when decorations are joyfully taken down, signifying the end of festivities and warding off potential misfortune for the upcoming year. In these Irish locales, the day is more synonymous with this time-honored folklore tradition than the arrival of the Three Kings in Bethlehem. Remarkably, the celebration of Twelfth Night in this region is an exclusive affair for women, a night of unrestrained revelry rather than a solemn religious observance.

Known as Little Christmas or Women's Christmas, this occasion offers women a well-deserved break after the demanding holiday season. They gather with friends and family to partake in hearty meals, indulge in spirited conversations, share laughter, and dance the night away. A cherished tradition during this festive time is the consumption of Christmas cake – a rich confection teeming with fruit, spices, and a hint of spirits. The cake is adorned with marzipan, royal icing, and festive embellishments, embodying the spirit of the season.

In the Irish custom of Christmas cake making, three cakes are meticulously crafted to last the entire 12 days of Christmas. The first is sliced at midnight on Christmas Eve, marking the end of the Christmas fast, while the second is enjoyed on New Year's Eve. The third and final cake takes center stage on Twelfth Night, concealing hidden charms—a bean and a pea. Whoever discovers these charms is bestowed the honorary title of king or queen for the night, adding a playful and joyous element to the celebration.

Fruit cakes, a ubiquitous presence in Irish households, hold a special place in this culinary landscape. Often referred to as tea bracks, these tea-soaked fruit-infused delights offer a lighter alternative to the traditional Christmas cake and are a beloved staple in Irish kitchens.

Graham Herterich, a chef, baker, and owner of The Bakery by The Cupcake Bloke in Dublin, pays homage to these cherished traditions in his cookbook "Bake." The book, a heartfelt tribute to the women who shaped his culinary journey, especially his Granny Flynn, serves as a testament to the enduring warmth and richness of Irish baking heritage.

Rooted in Memories: Graham Herterich's Culinary Homage to Family Tradition

Food has always been a part of my life. I grew up over the family butcher's shop so, from an early age, I learned the importance of food; that it kept a roof over our heads," reflects Graham Herterich. Born into a family where men were the backbone of the butchery business, it was the women who left an indelible mark on his culinary journey.

Granny Flynn, a central figure in Herterich's formative years, imprinted his earliest food memory. Seated at a marbled blue Formica table in her kitchen, he watched with fascination as she meticulously weighed dried fruit into a Mason Cash bowl for a tea brack. The tea, a blend from Campbell's loose leaf tin, was a vital ingredient, and Granny Flynn imparted a crucial piece of wisdom – the tea should be almost cold. This meticulous attention to detail, ensuring the right temperature for soaking the fruit overnight, laid the foundation for Herterich's enduring love for tea brack.

However, it wasn't only Granny Flynn who shaped Herterich's culinary perspective. Aunty Mary, a remarkable baker, took charge of the Christmas baking traditions. Her handmade cakes, generously packed with candied and dried fruits, spices, and spirits, were cherished gifts during a time when such ingredients were considered luxuries for ordinary people. Aunty Mary's Christmas cakes, laden with rich cherries, whiskey-soaked fruits, homemade marzipan, and flaked almonds, were a testament to the art of gifting through the creation of delectable treats.

In honor of these cherished memories, Herterich crafted the Winter Brack, a culinary masterpiece that harmoniously blends the essence of Granny Flynn's tea brack and Aunty Mary's Christmas cake. This winter delight, featured in his cookbook "Bake," is a symphony of flavors, with an abundance of fruit, warming spices, almonds, and a hint of orange. Whether served simply with butter or adorned with marzipan and Royal Icing, Winter Brack pays homage to the rich tapestry of family traditions that have shaped Herterich's love for food.

As Herterich generously shares the recipe for Winter Brack, he invites others to partake in the joy of creating a slice of family history in their own kitchens, marrying the warmth of tradition with the pleasures of the palate.

Winter Brack: A Culinary Symphony of Tradition and Flavor

This rendition of the classic Irish fruit cake, Winter Brack, is a sensory delight brimming with an array of fruits, warming spices, almonds, and a touch of orange zest. Whether savored simply with a generous dollop of butter and a cup of tea or adorned with marzipan and royal icing for a special occasion, this recipe encapsulates the heart and soul of Irish baking traditions.

250g sultanas or golden raisins50g mixed peel (or mixed candied lemon and orange peel)25g dried figs, cut into small pieces25g dried cranberries25g glacé or candied cherries, cut in half300g almost cold tea (brewed from black loose-leaf tea)125g caster sugar25g flaked (or sliced) almonds, plus extra to sprinkle on top1 large egg, beatenZest of 1 orange2 tsp mixed spice1 tsp ground cinnamon1 tsp vanilla extract225g self-rising flourMethod:

• Place the sultanas, mixed peel, figs, cranberries, cherries, and tea in a large bowl, allowing them to soak overnight at room temperature.

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F fan and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with non-stick baking paper.

• Add sugar, almonds, beaten egg, orange zest, mixed spice, cinnamon, and vanilla to the fruit and tea mixture, ensuring a thorough mix. Gently fold in the flour, taking care not to crush the fruit. Transfer the batter to the lined loaf tin.

• Bake in the preheated oven for 60–65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool fully in the tin before turning it out. Sprinkle additional almonds on top and cut into slices for serving.

* Mixed spice is a distinctive blend of baking spices, including allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, cloves, coriander, fennel, caraway, and cardamom, ground into a powder. If unavailable, pumpkin spice can be a substitute, but be mindful that it may alter the flavor of the brack significantly.

Winter Brack, a manifestation of cherished family memories and culinary passion, invites you to savor the essence of Irish baking at its finest. As you enjoy each slice, you partake in a time-honored tradition that transcends generations, embodying the warmth and richness of familial connections through the joy of shared meals.

In conclusion, Winter Brack emerges as a culinary symphony, seamlessly weaving together the threads of tradition, family memories, and the rich tapestry of Irish baking. Graham Herterich's homage to Granny Flynn's tea brack and Aunty Mary's Christmas cake is an invitation to partake in the timeless joy of shared meals and cherished family moments.

As each slice of Winter Brack is savored – be it enjoyed simply with butter and tea or elevated for a special occasion with marzipan and royal icing – one indulges in the heartwarming essence of Irish culinary heritage. This recipe encapsulates not just the ingredients meticulously measured and mixed but also the spirit of camaraderie, generosity, and the passing down of traditions from one generation to the next.

As the Winter Brack graces our tables, it becomes more than a dessert; it becomes a vessel of connection, a symbol of the enduring warmth found in the simple act of breaking bread together. The culinary journey embarked upon with each bite is an ode to the past, a celebration of the present, and a promise to carry forward the legacy of family traditions through the love and craft embedded in each delicious slice.