A loaf of Irish Soda Bread ushers in springtime!

It's mid-March in the Southwest.  Mother Nature has tantalized us with a few days of highs in the 70's. Enthusiastic gardeners are showing up at home improvement stores around town.  We can hardly wait to pack up our coats, break out our garden tools and make our dream landscapes come true. However, a few days with highs in the 50's and 30 mph plus winds have driven me back inside. Now I'm thinking of puttering around the kitchen and cooking something delicious for St. Patrick's Day on March 17th.

St. Patrick's Day celebrations come just at the right time.  Tired of winter activities and longing for sunshine, we welcome any opportunity for fun as we wait for a true springtime.  Green beer doesn't appeal to me much these days, but Irish Soda Bread does.  More specifically, I'm planning to bake Irish-American Soda Bread.

I don't know how long ago I first discovered the recipe in my 1997 edition of Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer et al. This classic cookbook is a real treat, especially for people like me who would just as soon read about cooking as get busy in the kitchen and do it.

Another reason I feel enthusiastic about baking is the new Kitchen Aid stand mixer our son gave us for Christmas.  Why didn't someone tell me earlier in my life how much better and easier a stand mixer can perform than my old hand mixer?  It makes baking a breeze!








Here is Joy of Cooking's description of Irish American Soda Bread (pp. 772-773).  "The American idea of Irish soda bread looks like a giant golden brown scone studded with raisins and caraway seeds." Yum. Mix together one and two-thirds cups all-purpose flour, five tablespoons sugar, one teaspoon baking powder, one teaspoon baking soda, and one-half teaspoon salt.  Stir in one cup raisins and two teaspoons caraway seeds. In another bowl, whisk together one large egg, one cup buttermilk, and a half-stick warm melted unsalted butter.  Stir all ingredients just until moistened. Bake in a greased, six cup loaf pan at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.

I've given you the "leaded" version.  If you are trying to eat healthy or have certain dietary restrictions, you may lower the amount of sugar (or use Splenda) and substitute half of the butter for applesauce.  I have made these substitutions at various times.  They may produce a loaf that doesn't stay quite as moist as the original, but since it is generally gobbled up immediately in our household, this has never been an issue.

If we run out of the loaf too quickly, though, I may try a new recipe that appeared several days ago in the El Paso Times for Irish Soda Bread Muffins by Ruth Taber.  The ingredients look very similar, and muffins rather than a loaf might be a nice twist.

Come on springtime!

Sláinte! (Cheers!, Salud!, Saúde!, Santé!)