Monday, March 10, 2014

Mary Alice's Irish Soda Bread

Well, I am just a home cook.  And my food photography skills are WEAK.  But I am celebrating my Irish heritage  (a  quarter Irish on my mom’s mom’s side of the family)   and wanted to share this Irish Soda Bread recipe with you.  I lost the original , written recipe  years ago.  I tried others but they never seemed “right”.  I got the original from a woman who was a family friend, and someone whom I always considered to be VERY Irish!    She was a lovely woman,  and had those fabulous Irish eyes, smiling always.  My sister mentioned that the original recipe had a shot of Jameson’s Irish Whiskey in it….I’m not sure about that!  Maybe next time I will add the whiskey….
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease a large round oven safe bowl .   (I’ve always used a casserole dish)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder (yes, I did say powder) * edited 2/25/15 , it's NOT tablespoons...oops
about 1/4 cup sugar, plus  some to sprinkle on top
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 cup raisins
About 1 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter (half a stick), melted
Mix the dry ingredients well.   Stir in the caraway seeds and raisins.  Add the buttermilk and the melted butter and stir until all ingredients are moist.  You may need to add a splash more milk.  (It should be moist but  not sloppy)  Turn into the buttered dish and cut an “x” on top.  Sprinkle with a bit of sugar.  Cook for  approximately 45 mins but check it at 40 mins.  Top should be just  golden and a knife inserted should come  out clean   (if it’s clean to start with?)   I let it cool slightly and then empty it out onto a plate.  Have a chunk  (or a slice)  plain or with butter.   Enjoy!  And let me know what you think!
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