Irish Soda Bread & Citrus Honey Butter

357. Its March and Irish Soda Bread can be found in every grocery store, bakery and Instagram post.  So I received this email from King Arthur Bread Co and they featured an Irish Soda Bread.  I have tried many different recipes in the past but have never settled on one favorite.  So, I put this recipe to the test.  They claimed it was closest to an authentic Irish Soda Bread.  It was delicious and the aroma was intoxicating!

You can find the recipe link Here .  But, I made a convenient recipe cards for you to print out.

                     To save recipe select, drag and drop onto your desktop.  Print as a photo.

I mixed the dough in a large bowl and used my hands for the process.  Just prepped everything ahead.  The dough was stickier than the recipe described but I did not add anything to change the texture.  I baked it in a 9" round cast iron pan.  Because cast iron bakes hotter I adjusted the baking time 

to 35 minutes but could have baked for 30 minutes.  It was a bit dry but the taste and texture were lovely.

I served the bread with butter, honey, lemon curd and made a mixture of Orange Honey Butter.

This is a recipe I will be returning to.  Thanks King Arthur Flour Co. for developing a beautiful Irish Soda Bread.

"Cooking and Baking is both physical and mental therapy."  ~ Mary Berry

Apple and Raisin Oatmeal

263. Today I woke up hungry for a bowl of hot oatmeal. But not just plain oatmeal, oatmeal filled with happiness! My method to make oatmeal is very different from the typical preparation but I think it turns out perfect every time. I follow the directions by boiling the water first and then adding the dry oatmeal to the boiling water. But then I add a pinch of salt, bring the oatmeal back to a boil, stir and then shut the heat off and place a lid on the pot. I set the timer for 5 or so minutes and threaten anyone who dares lift the lid. When the oatmeal is ready, it is always perfect, not stuck to the bottom of the pot or boiled over the sides.

Today, I added a granny smith apple, chopped, cinnamon and 1/2 cup of raisins after the pinch of salt.

It turned out beautiful. I dotted each serving with butter and sprinkled the top with cinnamon and sugar dusting. The apple and raisins added such a natural sweetness, I didn't need to add any additional sugar.

So we sat, enjoying our oatmeal, fresh strawberries and sipped our tea. I wish every morning could be this relaxed and delicious!

"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast."

~John Gunther

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

260. Hands down...this Oatmeal Cookie is one of the best oatmeal cookie recipes I have found. It has a great balance of chewiness to crispiness and the flavor causes you to come back for another and another...till they vanish! I found it on the side of a Quaker Oats container many years ago. You can find the recipe online here.

I have used old fashioned oats as well as quick oats. Either works well although the old fashioned oats produce a denser cookie. I have also added white chocolate, chocolate chips or coconut. All variations have been winners.

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoon butter, softened
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
• 1 cup raisins

• Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of

  electric mixer until creamy, approximately 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.

  Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls

  onto parchment lined cookie sheets.

  

  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered, although this won't be necessary...your cookies will vanish away.

  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Cook Time Time: 08 min
  • Pour a glass of milk orbrew a pot of coffee and indulge!

"You have to eat oatmeal or you'll dry up, anybody knows that."

~Eloise

Recipe from February 2011

Blueberry Valentine Pies

Baked Pumpkin

243. Pumpkins as a side dish? Why yes!

Little Sugar Pumpkins are perfect in flavor and texture.

Start by preparing the 1 to 2 lb pumpkins washing the pumpkins with mild dish soap, rinse and dry. Cut the top cap off by cutting a large circle.

Scrape out all the membrane and seeds clean from the inside and trim the top cap.

Peel, and cube an apple, one per pumpkin.

Cover with 1/4 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 cup raisins (optional), fresh squeezed lemon juice and dot the top with butter.

Place the top caps back onto the pumpkin.

Place in a 350 degree oven and bake 50-60 minutes or till tender. Or, microwave by covering with plastic wrap tightly. Microwave on high for 30 minutes.

Scrape the pumpkin down from the sides to mix with the filling. Serve hot.

"Only the knife knows what goes on in the heart of a pumpkin."

~Simone Schwarz-Bart

Irish Soda Bread & Baked Cabbage with Bacon

53.  Happy St. Patrick's Day...and Happy Birthday to my wonderful sister Ruth!!!  

Because of the focus of St. Patrick, and all things Irish, I am making Irish Soda Bread. 

There are a ton of recipes for soda bread...so I am experimenting. 

This bread is a peasant bread..with very few ingredients. 

 Yesterday I tried this recipe Irish Soda Bread with Raisins from

 Bon Appétit February 2005 magazine.

 

 It was tasty...very simple...almost "too" simple and lacked flavor.  I would have liked this much more if it was in a muffin form or drop scone form and with added flavor.  Although, butter and honey dripping off made this bread delightful!!!

While reading the history of St. Patrick, I was intrigued to learn, St. Patrick was kidnapped from England, as a young boy, and taken on a ship, by pirates, to Ireland.  He was sold as a slave and worked for many years.  His birth name was Maywin Socket but his owners called him "pigboy".  Maywin was sad and lonely, and missed his home, but found comfort in talking to God in prayer.  Six years later, he escaped from Ireland and returned to England.  He dedicated his life to the service of God and over time, became a Bishop in the Catholic Church, where he received the name "Patrick".  During his life, he felt compelled to forgive the men who kidnapped him, sold him and those who used him in slavery to indulge in their own selfish pleasure and indulgences.  He decided to return to Ireland to help those same people to teach them about God.  He forgave and then began to help the people learn about God and change their lives.  He would use the three leaf clover to explain God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit...three in one.   (Amazing how this day, showing respect and homage to this man's testimony of life, forgiveness and servitude to others, has spun back to the serving of self and indulgence.)

I went onto Queen Martha's site and she has a tutorial, first, the history of Irish Soda Bread and then her own recipe here:  Martha's Irish Soda Bread

Google found this recipe for me and it looks like a winner.  It is Classic Buttermilk Irish Soda Bread from the Los Angeles Times on-line.  It was so different...and the texture was moist.

The batter/dough was very wet...and I made a note to add a little more flour to the dough next time I make it.

So, our dinner was a tribute to Irish cuisine but "reworked": 

 Instead of corned beef...bacon was our replacement with cabbage.  This recipe was amazing!

 Baked Cabbage with Bacon from Bon Appétit, May 1996 magazine,

  Roasted Chicken, Parsley Potatoes and Irish Soda Bread.

"May your blessings outnumber

the shamrocks that grow,

and may trouble avoid you

wherever you go."

 ~ Irish Blessing