The main difference between soda bread and many other types of bread is that soda bread relies on the reaction between baking soda and buttermilk for leavening instead of yeast. Soda bread is heavier and than yeast breads and is wonderful in heartier meals like stews and meat dishes. It is fabulous toasted and slathered with butter!

History of Irish Soda Bread

Soda Bread was not actually invented by the Irish as many people assume. American Indians would use soda ash (a natural soda in wood ashes) as a leavening agent in their bread baking. So “soda bead was popular in the colonies before the idea was exported to Ireland.

Baking soda wasn’t introduced to Ireland until around 1845. Before this, Irish housewives would use yeast with poor results. Yeast does not mix well with the type of “soft wheat” grown in Ireland’s wet climate since it is low in protein and therefore low in gluten strength. Without this high gluten strength, the bread made from “soft flour” (which is made from the “soft wheat”) will not rise like a bread made from “hard flour” and yeast.

Not only was Ireland’s climate working against the Irish, yeast was also expensive! Many families were just too poor to afford it. When baking soda was introduced to Ireland, it offered a relatively inexpensive and effective substitution.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread has only 4 ingredients, flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. I have made it in the traditional manner, and I find it to be bland. The following recipe, while not traditional, is very tasty. If you want a more traditional taste you should leave out the sugar and raisins.

A Quick and Easy Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Here is a recipe for Soda Bread that got rave reviews at my last St. Patrick’s Day Party. We had it with corned beef, but it is great with a hearty stew or pot roast too. I love it in the morning slightly toasted with butter, yum!

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp softened unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk*
• 1 cup raisins (optional)

*If you do not have buttermilk on hand, just add 1 1/2 tbsps of lemon juice or white vinegar to your milk and let it sit for 5 minutes

Baking Your Irish Soda Bread

Pre-heat oven to 400F. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a large bowl. Mix it well. Work the softened butter into the dry ingredient with a fork or your fingertips. Do this until the texture resembles coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk and stir with a fork just until the dough begins to come together. If you are adding raisins stir them in now.

Turn the dough out onto a flour-coated work surface. Knead until the dough just about comes together, about 10 turns. Do not overknead the dough, you do not want it to be smooth! Pat the dough into a roundish shape about 2-3 inches thick.

Place on a greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. I use Pam baking spray. Score the dough by cutting a cross shape on the top of the loaf.

Bake until loaf is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the loaf from the oven and cool on a wire rack to room temperature, 30-40 minutes.

Yummy! A popular variation on this bread is “Spotted Dog”, aka Soda Bread with raisins.

Enjoy!

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July 9th was National Sugar Cookie Day, and it inspired me to dig out my favorite recipe for sugar cookies. I was a little late in celebrating (I think I baked these July 11th) but my husband enjoyed them all the same.

Sugar cookies remind me of the holidays, and though I find it strange that I am thinking of Christmas cookies in July, I am sure that these will be my main attraction this season.

They are fluffy, sugary and uncomplicated, everything a good sugar cookie should be. This recipe takes about 10 minutes to whip together, and another 22 minutes to bake (11 minutes per sheet). From start to finish you looking at a total of 40 minutes, and you will receive about 2 dozen fantastic cookies for your effort. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 14 tablespoons of butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Supplies:

• 2 mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Measuring cups/spoons
• Cookie sheet
• Wax paper/Non stick baking spray/Crisco
• Electric mixer
• Pie dish or other shallow dish

Making and Baking the Sugar Cookies:

1. First preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Set aside 1 cup of sugar in the shallow dish.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in one mixing bowl.
4. In the other mixing bowl, beat the remaining sugar and the butter together for 5 minutes (this is important!).
5. Beat the vanilla and the eggs into the sugar and butter until combined.
6. Slowly mix in the flour.
7. Roll the dough into golf sized balls, and roll through the sugar, coating the dough completely.
8. Place the balls on a cookie sheet that has been either greased or lined with wax paper, at least 2 inches apart.
9. Press the palm of your hand onto the cookies to flatten them a little.
10. Bake them for about 11 minutes, one sheet at a time.
11. When the edges start to brown they are done.
12. Let them sit for a few minutes on a cooling rack before serving.

Additional tips:

• For really fantastic cookies, roll the dough in coarse sugar instead of granulated.
• Every oven is different, so watch your cookies carefully.
• These will stay soft for about 7 days if stored in a plastic zipper bag. We usually eat them much more quickly though
• Rolling the sugar cookies in colored sugar is a great way to add a little pizazz.

This soft pretzel recipe is perfect for parties, munching during the football game, and everyday snacking. Pair it with a cheese dip and a beer and you have yourself the perfect party food. The pretzels turn out soft and buttery, these are even better then the mall pretzels. I am having an Oktoberfest party this year, so I will definitely be making these.

This recipe makes 12 soft pretzels. It takes about 15 minutes to make and knead the dough, about an hour to rise, and 8 minutes to bake, for a total time of 1 hour, 23 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 1/3 cups warm water
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 2 cups hot water
• 1/2 cup course salt, for topping
• 1/2 stick of melted butter

Making the pretzels:

1. Dissolve the yeast and the brown sugar in warm water. Let it stand for 6 minutes (it will get frothy).
2. Mix the flour, white sugar, and salt together in a large bowl.
3. Make a depression in the center of the dry ingredients with your fingers, and pour the yeast/sugar mixture and oil into it.
4. Mix the ingredients into a dough. It will probably be a bit dry and crumbly, so add a tablespoon or two of water to it to make it a bit sticky.
5. Knead the dough for 5 minutes (Don’t skimp here, knead it well!)
6. Transfer the dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit for an hour to rise (it will double in size).
7. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
8. Dissolve baking soda in hot water.
9. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.
10. Roll the dough into ropes on a lightly floured surface and twist it into the shape of a pretzels.
11. Dip the pretzel into the baking soda mixture and then place it on a greased baking sheet.
12. Sprinkle with course salt.
13. Bake for 7 minutes until the tops turn brown.
14. Melt the butter in the microwave and pour it over pretzels when you take them out of the oven.

Additional tips:

• If you want a sweet pretzel, skip the salt and top them with cinnamon and sugar after baking.
• Garlic powder and parmesan cheese is also a fantastic topping. Pour on the butter and sprinkle it on after you take them out of the oven.
• Make large soft pretzels by dividing the dough into 6 sections instead of 12, and roll the ropes longer.
• If you are serving a large crowd, roll the section into ropes and then divide the ropes into 2 inch setions with a knife. Cut the cooking time to 5-6 minutes. Pretzel bites!
• Freeze the dough in divided sections so you can make a pretzel anytime. Just let it thaw to room temperature, dip the pretzel into the baking soda mixture, then bake.

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One of my favorite recipes is a banana bread that I make from super ripe bananas. it is the softest, tastiest banana bread you will ever bake. I always make a double batch because it is wonderful for breakfast, snacks and dessert, so it doesn’t last long!

This recipe makes one nine inch loaf. It takes about 15 minutes to put together, about an hour to bake, and a half hour to cool, for a total time of 1 hour, 45 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 small container of plain or vanilla yogurt (1/4 cup)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons of butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Supplies:

• 2 mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Measuring cups/spoons
• 9 inch loaf pan
• Non-stick baking spray or vegetable spray
• Fork or potato masher

Baking your tasty bread:

1. First preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in the microwave and set aside to cool.
3. Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in one mixing bowl.
4. In the other mixing bowl, whisk the eggs.
5. Add the bananas to the eggs and mash them well. You can use a fork, but a potato masher (if you have one) works dandy.
6. Add the vanilla, melted butter, and yogurt into the eggs/banana mixture, and whisk it together.
7. Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combined, but don’t over mix it.
8. Spray you loaf pan well with the nonstick spray and pour the batter into the pan.
9. Bake it for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean from the middle.
10. Let it sit for a few minutes in the pan before you transfer it to a cooling rack (then let it cool for at least 20-30 minutes).

Additional tips:

• You can use shortening in place of the butter if you don’t have butter on hand.
• Make this recipe banana nut bread by adding a cup of chopped walnuts when you are folding wet and dry ingredients together.
• Wrap the loaf in aluminum foil to keep in the moisture.
• Don’t skip checking the bread with a knife or toothpick. The bread can look done it still be very raw in the middle.
• If you want this to be more of a desert bread, use 1 cup of sugar instead of 3/4 cup.

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Tea sandwiches are the perfect food to serve at social parties such as baby and wedding showers, cocktail parties, or birthday parties. They are especially good for for dressy events, when guests will be loathe to attempt any “messy foods” such as sloppy joes!

My favorite tea sandwich is a cucumber version. We served them for my wedding shower and I made them recently for my niece’s baby shower. They are refreshing and light, wonderful for summer parties, and the recipe is simple!

• 1 seedless English cucumber
• 12 pieces of white bread (use a good quality bread)

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons (preferably fresh) lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

1. Stir together first three ingredients until well blended, then add chives
2. Spread chive butter on bread, both bottoms and tops
3. Arrange 2 layers of thinly sliced cucumber on bottom layer (a
   mandoline makes slicing easy!)
4. If you would like you can lightly sprinkle with salt and/or freshly ground pepper
5. Add top bread
6. Cut off crusts then cut diagonally
7. Wrap well and refrigerate until served

1. To curl scallions clean and trim leaving 3-4 inches of green with white part
2. Then slice longwise through greens a few times
3. Immerse in ice water to curl
4. Place curls on sandwiches

I hope you enjoy the cucumber tea sandwiches!