Bara Nadolig
Bara Nadolig, translated as Christmas Bread, is my version of a festive Bara Brith. Famous in Wales, Bara Brith was originally a yeasted dough speckled with dried fruits, but it is now more commonly made as a cake. Like a Barmbrack in Ireland or an English tea loaf, Bara Brith is a fruit loaf, often made with tea or some other liquid such as juice or milk, and loaded with dried fruits and sometimes some spices as well.
It lends itself well to a few adjustments to include classic Christmas flavours. It is lighter than a traditional Christmas cake and is a wonderful alternative should you be looking for a quick bake or you are catering for a much smaller crowd, which, let’s face it, is a common theme this Christmas 2020.
Bara Nadolig is loaded with Christmas dried fruits, (dates, figs, apricots and cherries) fresh orange juice and zest, some Christmas Spice Mix and, the crowning glory, studded with chunks of marzipan. The marzipan melts into and infuses the whole loaf; it is like an utterly adorable child of Bara Brith and stollen. It is moist, bursting with flavour and each mouthful will remind you exactly what time of year it is.
How to make Bara Nadolig
Collect all your ingredients together:
- marzipan. (NB Normally I prefer the whiter marzipan. For this cake I prefer the more vibrant yellow marzipan. Both work equally well.)
- zest from 1 orange
- juice from 1 orange
- milk
- dried fruits. I like figs, dates, apricots, glacé cherries and candied peel. (NB I like to use the bright red coloured glacé cherries in this recipe.)
- unsalted butter
- soft brown sugar
- caster sugar
- plain/all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- Christmas Spice Mix or mixed spice
- fine salt
- large egg
How to make Bara Nadolig:
NB You need to start making this around 1 hour before you want to cook it.
- Weigh the dried fruit, sugar and butter into a saucepan and add the milk and orange juice.
- Bring to the boil over a moderate heat and them boil for 2 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave to cool for a minimum of 2 hours, but preferably for an hour or two.
- Meanwhile, chop the marzipan into small cubes. Spread out on a chopping board or plate and pop in the freezer to harden.
- When the dried fruit mix has cooled, add the flour, baking powder, Christmas Spice Mix or mixed spice, orange zest, salt and beaten egg.
- Fold until nearly mixed in.
- Add the marzipan cubes and fold until completely mixed in. Be careful not to over-mix at this stage.
- Transfer to a lined loaf tin and level the surface.
- Cook in the centre of a preheated oven.
- Leave in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove and leave to cool on a baking rack.
Ingredients 
1 Dried fruit, sugar, butter, milk and juice. 
2 Bring to boil for 2 mins 
3 Chop and freeze marzipan 
4 Add flour, baking powder, spice, zest, salt and egg to fruit 
5 Fold until nearly mixed 
6 Fold in marzipan 
7 Transfer to lined loaf tin 
8 Cook
Made this recipe?
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Bara Nadolig
Bara Nadolig is loaded with Christmas dried fruits, (dates, figs, apricots and cherries) fresh orange juice and zest, some Christmas Spice Mix and, the crowning glory, studded with chunks of marzipan.
Ingredients
- 150g yellow marzipan, chopped
- grated rind of 1 orange
- juice of 1 orange, (roughly 70ml) made up to 240ml with milk
- 60g dried dates, chopped (See Recipe Notes)
- 60g dried figs, stem removed and chopped (See Recipe Notes)
- 60g dried apricots, chopped (See Recipe Notes)
- 60g bright red glacé cherries, chopped (See Recipe Notes)
- 25g mixed peel chopped (See Recipe Notes)
- 95g unsalted butter
- 60g caster sugar
- 60g soft brown sugar
- 190g plain/all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1¾ teaspoons Christmas Spice Mix or mixed spice
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
-
You need to start making this cake at least 1 hour before you want to bake it, to allow the fruit mixture to cool.
-
Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
-
Using a fine grater, remove the zest from the orange.
-
Juice the orange and pour into a measuring jug. Add sufficient milk to reach 240ml.
-
Prepare the dried fruit as specified in the ingredients list.
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Weigh the dried fruit, sugar and butter into a saucepan and add the milk and orange juice.
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Slowly bring the fruit, butter, milk, orange juice and sugar to the boil and then boil steadily for 2 minutes. Leave to cool for at least an hour. The milk solids may separate out – this is normal, don't worry. It will come together when you bake the cake.
-
Meanwhile, chop the marzipan into small cubes – around 1cm cubed. Spread out on a chopping board or plate and pop in the freezer to harden.
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5 minutes before you want o cook the cake, preheat oven to Fan Oven 150°C/170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
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Prepare the loaf tin by either lining it with greaseproof paper or by inserting a loaf tin liner
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When the dried fruit mix has cooled, add the flour, baking powder, Christmas Spice Mix or mixed spice, orange zest, salt and beaten egg.
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Fold until nearly mixed in.
-
Add the marzipan cubes and fold until completely mixed in. Be careful not to over-mix at this stage.
-
Transfer to a lined 2lb loaf tin and level the surface.
-
Cook in the centre of a preheated oven for 60 – 70 minutes. Mine normally takes 65 minutes.)
-
Leave in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove and leave to cool on a baking rack.
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Serve sliced with a delicious cup of tea! (Or coffee if you must!)
Recipe Notes
Equipment:
- kitchen scales and measuring spoons
- measuring jug
- grater
- reamer
- chopping board and knife
- large saucepan
- 1 x 2lb loaf tin and liner or lined with baking parchment
Dried Fruits:
You can use any combination of dried fruits you choose. The total weight should come to 265g.
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