Sunday, March 16, 2008

Happy St. Patty's Day!

St. Patrick's day around our house has more to do with heritage and genealogy than drinking and partying. I have a few Irish ancestors: Nixons, and Carskadons are a few families in my family lines.
Some years I would serve green orange juice (that sounds strange, doesn't it?). Some years I would make Corned Beef and cabbage, but I don't do that much anymore. It is a pretty fatty, tough meat (at least by the time I'm done with it!). So I sometimes would serve cupcakes w/ green frosting, or something like that, to remind my family of their Irish heritage. Recently I found this recipe for soda bread that I like very much. It is easy and quick to make, tasty, and has some whole grains in it.



Quick Irish Soda Bread
(modified from Joy of Cooking)
Sift together in a large bowl:
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 ½ c. flour
1 ½ t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
4 t. sugar
Cut into the flour mixture:
6 T. butter
Add and mix together:
1 beaten egg
¾ c. buttermilk
(you can add 1 c. raisins or currants and or 2 t. caraway seeds, but I don’t)
Put dough into a greased 8 inch round cake or pie pan.
Bake at 375ยบ for 20-40 minutes.
I have adjusted the baking powder for high altitude baking
- if you are at less than 2000 feet, you should add about 1/2 t. of baking powder.
This is a quick and easy bread to make,
and an easy way to put some whole grains in your diet!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

If anyone is thinking about making this bread ... it's really good! It is a little dry, but I think that is pretty authentic, and it has a really great flavor!

DH

Annie in Austin said...

Yours may be more authentic. My recipe is a little different - part whole wheat, part white...still has buttermilk. I like it with the currants, but my husband and son want chocolate chips added in! Irish people eat so much chocolate that this version might go over well on the "auld sod".

Happy St Patrick's Day, Muum!

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

j said...

I've been told that our last name means Tide-dwellers but I don't know if that is Scottish or Irish. I really need to do my husband's geneology and find out!

Nice St. Paddy's Day post.

Jennifer