~Best Ever Irish Soda Bread~

Irish Soda Bread
(File Photo)

It's especially at this time of year that Irish Soda Bread is baked and enjoyed! You know the yummy bread that is just filled with sweet raisins with every bite. At least the Irish Soda Bread that I bake is. Yes, you can purchase one that can be a tad dry in texture and /or not contain lots of raisins. If you are going to enjoy this delicious traditional bread on St. Patrick's Day weekend, bake one using this recipe. It's that good!

***Three ingredients are key here- Butter, Raisins and Buttermilk. The Butter is melted first and cooled before adding into the other ingredients. The Raisins are soaked in hot water and drained before adding them in.

Did I mention that no eggs are needed in this recipe? There are no eggs. 

In the photo below the sticky raisin filled dough is ready to be placed in the oven.

Raisin filled dough
(File Photo)

Click here for my recipe for this delicious Irish Soda Bread.

Add Butter, Raisins and Buttermilk to your grocery list this week. Then, bake this delicious Irish Soda Bread to enjoy this upcoming St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Irish Soda Bread!

Irish Soda Bread
(File Photo)

It's Irish Soda Bread time of year!  The bread enjoyed during St. Patrick's Day week that's loaded with Raisins!  I make it using 1 stick of Butter & 1 cup of Buttermilk!  What a great treat and it's so easy!  Really!  Surprise your family this year if you never have before by baking this yummy bread!  No need to purchase one.

Another name for this tasty bread is Spotted Dog.  Every year at this time I now share my very happy memory of me locating this recipe. In my fridge was an opened container of Buttermilk.  I was googling for an Irish Soda Bread recipe & located a blog, Charli and Me written by Carol.  Much to my happiness I saw what I had been searching for.

Originally the recipe is from the Will O'Glenn Irish Bed and Breakfast in Michigan with Mrs. Biddy Gahan sharing it.  Carol then shared it on her blog.  Every year at this time the low fat Buttermilk & unsalted Butter are in my fridge- waiting, along with a canister of Raisins in my pantry.  

Below are a few hints that I've learned to bake a great Irish Soda Bread:

• One year I was working too quickly & melted the Butter in error.  After it cooled, I added the melted/ cooled Butter to the dry ingredients and discovered that the dough was easier to work with.  Now I always melt/ cool the Butter.

•  I have a gas oven and my baking time is 10- 15 minutes more than the original recipe.  The extra time is included in my recipe below.

• Before working with the dough by hand rub a little butter on your hands.  The sticky dough will not stick to your hands. 

 

Irish Soda Bread ready for oven!
(File Photo)

 
Irish Soda Bread
Oven:  400°F, then lowered to 375°F
Total baking time:  40- 45 Minutes

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 Cups Raisins
1 Cup boiling Water
*  *  *
1 stick Butter - I use unsalted.
2 and 1/2 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
5 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Cup Buttermilk, can be low fat/fat free

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Spray a 8" or 9 " Pyrex Pie Plate with PAM.
3. In a small bowl combine Raisins and boiling Water.  Let sit while preparing dough.
4. Melt Butter.  Cool.
5. In larger bowl, combine Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder & Sugar.
6. Add melted Butter to dry ingredients, stir in.
7. Add Buttermilk, stir.
8. Add drained Raisins, stir.
9. Shape into a ball after placing dough into pie plate.  Dough will be sticky.
10. Bake 15 Minutes at 400°F.
11. Lower oven to 375°F.  Bake 25- 30 Minutes longer.
12. Remove the bread from pie plate after using cake tester or toothpick to test for done and cool on rack.
13. Cool. 
14. Wait at least 5 hours before cutting into slices and eating.

After cutting the bread into slices, I then place it in two sealed Ziploc Bags.  A half slice of Irish Soda Bread is a very tasty treat.  Heated for a few seconds in the microwave is oh, so good, too!

The extra slices do freeze well.  It's always a great treat to find a package in the freezer the following week!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!       

~Butternut Squash Bread~

Butternut Squash Bread cooling!

Last Friday was the designated day for me.  Our weather has been quite brisk lately with the exception of Monday's rain.  On our garage floor were 5 Butternut Squash remaining in the carton.  They needed to be prepped for our freezer.  It's always best to take care of that before our cold temps make an appearance.  So... more bags of yummy locally grown Butternut Squash that is mashed/ ready to microwave is now in our freezer.  This week's been cold, brrrr!

2 Cups of the mashed Squash were refrigerated.  I had plans- Butternut Squash Breads!  It's a tradition with me to use Butternut Squash rather than Pumpkin for breads & pies.  It's a baking custom in my family.  Now, as long as my bowls & measuring utensils were to be used for baking, I baked 2 breads.  One is always cooled/ wrapped/ placed in the freezer for Thanksgiving weekend.

Butternut Squash works so well in this recipe.  However, if you do not have this yummy mashed vegetable readily available, use Pumpkin! 

• I use Olive Oil for sauteing & baking 
• Egg Whites rather than a Whole Egg is used.

The recipe below is for 1 Bread.  It's definitely a family fave here!  Light & moisty!

Butternut Squash Bread

Oven:  350°F      Time:  55 Minutes  

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 Cups Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves (optional, but delicious)
1  Cup Sugar

4 Egg Whites (= total of 2 Whole Eggs)
3/4 Cup Olive Oil for sauteing & baking
1 Cup Butternut Squash (cooked, mashed & cooled - defrosted if frozen)
PAM

Method:

1. Spray 1 large bread pan with PAM. 
2.  Preheat oven to 350°F.
3.  Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl.
4.  In smaller bowl, beat Egg Whites until frothy.
5.  Mix in Olive Oil.
6.  Add mashed Butternut Squash to Egg Whites/Olive Oil & stir.
7.  Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients and stir until combined.
8.  Pour batter into bread pan.
9.  Bake at 350°F for 55 Minutes or until toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in   middle of loaf.
10.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 Minutes.
11.  Then remove from pan & continue cooling.
12.  Later, place on plate & cut into slices.

We always enjoy Butternut Squash Bread during Thanksgiving weekend.  It's also a holiday treat that can be baked/ cooled/ wrapped in foil & placed in the freezer.  When needed, defrost.      

Enjoy!
Yummy!