Irish Soda Bread

Throw out all your ideas of what soda bread is supposed to taste like (you know, the kind that you only eat once a year and only then because it's tradition and not because you really like it). THIS is what soda bread should taste like. We tried this new recipe for St. Patrick's Day and will be making it a permanent part of our holiday celebration. I left out the caraway seeds and baked mine in a 9-inch glass pie dish, which worked perfectly. While I normally don't like raisins baked into...well, anything...I thought they perfectly complemented this bread and wouldn't make it without them. This one is good enough to enjoy any time of year, but serve alongside your favorite corned beef and cabbage recipe for a perfect combination.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8

Irish Soda Bread
1/2 cup white sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional - I thought it was perfect without them)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch round cast iron skillet or a 9-inch round baking or cake pan.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour (reserving 1 tablespoon), sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, raisins, and caraway seeds. In a small bowl, blend eggs, buttermilk and sour cream. Stir the liquid mixture into flour mixture just until flour is moistened. Knead dough in bowl about 10-12 strokes. Dough will be sticky. Place the dough in the prepared skillet or pan and pat down. Cut a 4 x 3/4 inch deep slit in the top of the bread (NOTE: Mine was way too sticky and soft for the slit to hold, but it still turned out great so don't stress this part). Dust with reserved flour.

3. Bake for 65-75 minutes. Let cool and turn bread onto a wire rack. (NOTE: I didn't turn mine out but instead placed a kitchen towel over it to keep it warm and served it directly out of the pie dish, cutting out a wedge at a time and spreading with butter. It is best served warm.)

Joshua's Magic Muffins

Joshua, being a fan of Malt-O-Meal, asked me for months to try this recipe he found on the side of the Malt-O-Meal box. When I finally got around to it, I wished I had tried it sooner! These delicious morsels are so yummy and satisfying and just a little sweet. No need to put honey on them, just add a little butter and they'll stand on their own. Best of all, they are sooo easy to make.

Joshua's Magic Muffins
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Original Malt-O-Meal hot wheat cereal, dry
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Preaheat oven to 400ºF. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir together until all ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into greased or paper-lined muffin pans, filling cups 3/4 full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until center is firm to the touch.

Yield: 12 muffins

Banana Bread

I love, love banana bread, and this is a fabulous recipe. I love big chunks of nuts, and I never measure how much I actually put in. I make small loaves, mini loaves, muffins, mini muffins... lots of shapes and sizes of this yumminess. Cooking times vary with size, so watch it so you don't end up with banana nut charcoal.

Banana Bread
3 eggs
1 c oil
1½ c sugar
2 c flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c ripe bananas (about 3-4), mashed
1 c milk
1 c walnuts (more), coarsely chopped

Bake at 375º for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. I like to make banana nut muffins or baby loaves. Cooking time is less with smaller sizes - just watch it.

Homemade Wheat Bread

I. love. bread.

LOVE IT.

a lot.

Some people are afraid to make bread because they think it sounds too hard. It's really not hard at all, it just takes some time. Nothing smells better or more home-y than a delicious batch of fresh bread right out of the oven. Mmm, mmm, mmm...

Wheat Bread
5 c hot water (115-120 degrees)
2 Tb Saf yeast
1/2 c honey
1 Tb liquid lecithin
1/3 c oil
2 Tb salt
1 tsp vitamin C powder
12 c whole wheat flour (more or less)

Mix together everything except flour. Add flour. Mix 10 minutes on medium speed until it starts going up the midddle. Don't add more flour after the first 2 minutes. Let dough rise until doubled. Smash it down and divide into 4-5 equal parts. Shape into loaves and let rise (in pans). Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Notes: Liquid lecithin and vitamin C powder can be found at health food stores. Measure the oil and then pour it into the measuring cup you'll use for the honey; then pour it into the mixer. That way your honey cup is oiled and you won't have to mess with trying to scrape the honey out. The feel of the dough matters more than exact measurements, so you may need more or less flour depending on the day. After you've made it a few times, you'll know what you like and what your dough should look and feel like. You don't need to knead the dough because the mixer did that for you.

Go make a batch and then feel free to give me a call and invite me over. I'll bring the honey-butter. Did I mention I love bread?

Cinnamon Roll Puffs

This is a perfect FHE treat. It doesn't take long to make, it's fun for kids to do, and it's delicious! You'll need frozen roll dough, cinnamon-sugar, melted butter, and frosting if you want it. No measurements - just eyeball it. :) Start by thawing your roll dough. I usually use the Rhodes jumbo rolls which are about twice the size of their regular rolls. Roll each ball of dough into a snake - not too long and skinny, just a little longer than you want your puffs to end up. (This one is on a tea cup saucer if you want to get an idea of the size.) Roll the dough in the melted butter, then in the cinnamon sugar, and finally place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes. You can top with frosting or drizzle with glaze. These were drizzled with cream cheese (pink) and choclate frosting that was leftover from someone's birthday cake. And there you have it - cinnamon rolls don't get much easier than that!