Irish Soda Bread

This is an old recipe from a cooking board. I never made it because I can buy Irish Soda Bread back in NY in any local grocery store. Not so in Northern Florida.





Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seed (didn't use)
3 Tablespoons Crisco
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup raisins
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
 In a saucepan, cover raisins with water. Bring to a boil, drain and set aside for later.
Combine dry ingredients, cut in Crisco with a fork.
Add raisins, toss to coat with flour.
Add buttermilk a little at a time to make a soft dough.
Turn out onto a floured board-knead a few times to smooth.
Form into about a 6” round dome and place on a greased or parchment lined sheet.
Cut a large cross (X) into the top of the bread.
Melt 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoon butter 
Brush the bread with the sugar/butter mixture.
Bake 45 minutes until well browned.

Miz Helen's Orange Tea Muffins

You might know by now I hate to waste anything.  I made Irish Soda Bread, Buttermilk Chocolate Cookies and there was half a quart of buttermilk left to go into something yummy. I also had 2 little oranges in the bowl leftover from the bag of oranges I gave to John and Elsie. This was perfect cause the recipe called for 2 oranges! 

I visit so many wonderful blogs and this recipe is from
Miz Helen's Country Cottage. This recipe is from Miz Helen's  Aunt Ann. I asked permission before adding the recipe to the blog.  I'm so honored to share it with everyone. Thank you Miz Helen!

Leda's birthday was in December and she wanted an orange cake. Let's just say I'm not a cake maker. It came out ok, she was polite and said it was good but it sure didn't meet my standards. She loves anything orange and since we will be leaving soon I want to make her as many goodies as I can before we head back to NY. She had a visit with the eye doctor and lets say she needed something special when she got home. I showed up with 4 mini muffins and 1 large one. Added the glaze to the the mini's, none to the large.

Wow, did she get them down in a hurry and told me to bring more over! Miz Helen- 5 thumbs up :-)

I saved a few for my gal Polly. I think she's gonna like this recipe also.

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter ( I softened it)
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
Zest of 2 oranges
1 teaspoon orange extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until creamy with a electric mixer.

Add one egg at a time into the butter and sugar combination, I usually let my eggs come to room temp before I start baking. Mix until well combined.

Add the orange extract and mix well.

Add the flour, adding a little at a time and continue to combine all the flour making sure it mixed well.

In a small bowl add the buttermilk and the baking soda and make sure the baking soda is dissolved.

Combine the buttermilk to the butter, sugar, egg, orange extract. Stir making sure the buttermilk is mixed in.

Add 3/4 of the orange zest to batter and again mix and make sure it well combined.

Pour batter into greased muffin tins- I used mini muffins and standard size in pretty cupcake shells.

Bake in your preheated oven for 12- 14 mins ( I baked mine mini's 11 minutes) I didn't time the standard. Just watched them and when they were golden brown I took them out.

Orange Glaze:

Juice of 2 oranges- enough to make 1 cup juice
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon orange zest- from the 2 oranges 

Directions:

In a saucepan heat the OJ and the brown sugar and cook till it comes to a boil. Glaze the muffins when they come out of the oven.

I love my new plate! It was Leda's and she wanted me to have it. It's so pretty.

Buttermilk Chocolate Cookies

I made Irish Soda Bread on St. Patty's Day and brought some to Polly, who never had it before.  Mark (Polly's hubby) really liked it and so did Polly so I made them another loaf. 

I have extra buttermilk that I need to use up and wanted to make something different and found this recipe from Goddess of Baking which I wanted to try.

On a rainy friday before Easter I decided to make them. Forget those chocolate bunnies. Chocolate cookies rule! At least I think so.

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted unsalted butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla ( I used Watkins Caramel Extract)
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Combine the flour, salt and baking soda in medium size bowl and whisk. I like using a soft plastic bowl. When I add the ingredient to my mixing bowl the plastic will bend and I don't get any spills.

In my kitchenaid bowl* use the whisk attachment. Add the cocoa to the bowl and the melted butter and combine until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla ( I used the caramel) and buttermilk.

Add the flour mixture slowly( still using the whisk attachment) and mix until just combined.

Mix in the chocolate chips. I used the regular paddle when mixing them in.

Place dough on parchment paper and space about an inch and a half apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a cooking rack.

When they are on the cooling rake, try not to eat to many. They are so good. Crunchy on the outside and nice and gooey inside.

Goddness of Baking said her boyfriend rated this recipe in the top three. All I could think of when I took the first bite was Dawn, Myra and Polly are gonna loves these!

This will fix any chocolate craving.

* If you don't have a kitchenaid use a large bowl with a electric mixer. Most have whisk attachments.

Irish Potato Soup

This soup is from MyRecipes, It was noted that this recipe is from McGuires Irish Pub, Pensacola, FL.,
MARCH 1999



Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 medium onion - finely chopped
3 leeks- sliced
3 large baking potatoes- peeled and cut into 1/4 inch chunks
3 ( 14 1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth( used 5 1/4 cups homemade broth)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Toppings- cheese, bacon, chopped fresh chives

Directions:

In a large saucepan melt butter.

Add onion  ( I used the food processor to chop it) and leeks to the saucepan.

Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add in the potatoes to the onion/leek mixture and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Stir in the broth and the salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Use a blender or hand held Immersion Blender and mix until smooth. Garnish with any topping you enjoy.

 Irish Soda Bread would be great with this soup!

Featured on Olives--n---Okra Funtastic Friday