May luck be our companion
May friends stand by our side
May history remind us all
Of Ireland’s faith and pride.
May God bless us with happiness
May love and faith abide.
~Irish Blessing
On St. Patrick’s Day or any day, serve this tasty American-style, easy-to-make bread. It’s said that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. So why not celebrate “the wearing of the green” with this tasty Irish soda bread recipe.
Serving Irish soda bread on St. Patrick’s Day is an Irish-American tradition. It seems every family has a favorite recipe. The secret ingredient sour cream makes this bread moist and delicious. Studded with raisins and caraway seeds, the bread has just a hint of sweetness. With a crispy crust and soft interior, it’s best eaten freshly made and warm and served with plenty of butter and jam.
Irish Soda Bread
2 eggs
2 cups sour cream
3 1/2 cups flour, plus extra for topping
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons Watkins Baking Powder
1 cup raisins
2 tablespoons caraway seeds (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter very well and flour an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan or 9-inch-square cake pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine sour cream and eggs using a mixer or wooden spoon.
3. Mix in flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
4. Fold raisins into mixture. Add caraway seeds if desired.
5. Pour mixture into pain. Sprinkle with flour and with a sharp knife, cut an “X,” or cross, across the top.
6. Bake for approximately 1 hour, 20 minutes.
7. Cool in pan on wire rack. When cool, remove from pan; slice and serve with butter.
Serves 6 to 8
This hearty, quick bread is updated with walnuts, golden raisins and a touch of orange zest.
Traditionally served on St. Patrick’s Day alongside corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread is great any time of the year. Enjoy this version toasted and served with jam for breakfast, or as a side for hearty soups and stews at lunch or dinner.
Irish Soda Bread with Citrus
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon Watkins Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dark raisins
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt until evenly combined. Add the butter pieces. Using clean fingertips or a pastry cutter, rub the butter pieces into the mixture until it forms coarse crumbs. Then add in the walnuts, both types of raisins and the orange zest; mix to distribute evenly.
3. Gradually stir in 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk and the beaten egg. With your hands, knead the dough in the bowl until it just comes together and all ingredients are evenly combined. Form the dough into a round and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the round all over with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of buttermilk. Use a sharp knife to cut an “x” into the top of the round.
4. Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with a bit of jam or butter.
Notes
To form the dough into a round, gather it into a ball, place it in the center of the baking sheet, and press down to flatten the top slightly into a thick disk.
Zest is the grated peel of a citrus fruit. The fragrant oil in the zest adds flavor to your recipes. To grate orange zest, remove any stickers from your orange and then wash and dry it. Using a medium-fine kitchen grater, grate just the colored peel of the orange, using a bowl or piece of wax paper to catch the zest. Avoid grating the white pith of the orange because this part tastes bitter.
Eleisia Whitney
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