St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

Tonight my family had our traditional dinner of

corned beef, cabbage, and mashed potatoes

(but since I don't eat cow, I had turkey pastrami :p).

It was dee-licious ♥

Dinner cooking

Yummy Irish Soda Bread

Corned beef and cabbage boiling

The website, The Heart Of New England,
has a special section of Irish bread recipes
(submitted by the innkeeper of The Inn of Tartan Fox)
that I thought I would share with all of you:

The inn

Irish Soda Bread

3 cups flour, well stirred
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped raisins or currants
1 ½ cups buttermilk

Stir together flour, brown sugar,
baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Stir in the raisins. Add the buttermilk
and stir til the dry ingredients are
moistened. Do not over mix.
Divide in half, turn into greased baking pan and
bake at 350 degrees about 25 minutes.
Remove from pan and cool.


Buttermilk Scones

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
11/2 tsp baking powder
½ baking soda
¼ tsp salt

Stir together in medium mixing bowl
5-6 tablespoons butter or margarine.
Cut into flour mixture. At this point you can stir in
1/4 cup of any kind of chopped dried fruit,
grated fresh apple, chopped cranberries,
blueberries, some nuts or whatever else you might like to try.

In separate small bowl combine:
1 large egg
½ cup buttermilk
11/2 tsp vanilla
Beat egg, then mix in buttermilk and vanilla.
Stir into flour mixture, don’t over mix, but do combine thoroughly.

On a floured surface, divide the dough in half,
then pat into a circle. Brush with a little egg wash,
sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, score with large knife into
wedges, slide on to ungreased baking sheet
and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400.
Serve with warm with butter or jam.


Treacle Farl

Treacle is a dark flavoring similar to molasses,
which we use in this recipe.
“Farl” comes from medieval Scottish
that means the fourth part.
This bread is baked in 4 wedges.

4 cups flour
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, diced
1 3/4 cups (approx) buttermilk
2 tablespoons dark molasses

Preheat oven to 425.
Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl.
Add butter and cut in until mixture resembles small peas.
Whisk molasses into 1 cup buttermilk.
Mix buttermilk into dry ingredients.
Gradually mix in enough remaining buttermilk
to form a soft dough.  Turn out onto a lightly floured
surface and knead a few turns to hold dough together.
Do not over mix. Pat into an 8 inch round.
Cut into 4 wedges, place on baking sheet, spaced slightly
apart. Bake until deep golden brown, about 30 minutes.

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"May you always have
Walls for the winds,
A roof for the rain,
Tea beside the fire,
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
And all your heart might desire!"

~ Irish Blessing

♥