Ireland by Jeanne Kuhns
Originally a daily staple created from the most basic ingredients in a poor country, variations on traditional Irish Soda Bread have become well-loved additions to St. Patrick’s Day meals. Now often associated with desserts, Irish Soda Bread is served with coffee or tea as well as with traditional Irish dinners from corned beef and cabbage to steak and Guinness or shepherd’s pie. The following soda bread recipe is worthy of dessert status! Shared by Patrick Palmer, employee at O’Meara’s Irish House in Fish Creek, and member of the local band Small Forest, Paddy’s Irish Soda Bread is rich and dense with sweet golden raisins, and best served warm with butter…
The accompanying photos were taken by Palmer’s band-mate, local singer/songwriter Jeanne Kuhns, on her visit to Ireland last fall. Kuhns enjoyed plenty of hearty Brown Bread (a variation of soda bread using wholemeal flour) while visiting, but the band agrees: Paddy’s recipe is the best, and Palmer makes it to celebrate each St. Patrick’s Day!
Castle in Ireland by Jeanne Kuhns
Paddy’s Irish Soda Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ cup melted butter
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- 1 cup golden raisins
Directions:
- Sift all dry ingredients together. Add raisins and coat with dry mix.
- In a separate bowl, slowly whisk together the cooled, melted butter and the butter milk.
- Now add the wet mix to the dry and mix until the dough forms. Dough will be a little sticky.
- Form the dough into a circle and place on a greased cookie sheet.
- Cut an ‘X’ on the top with a wet knife to ward off evil.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until golden brown.
- Cool on a wire rack.
Stone Walls of Ireland by Jeanne Kuhns
Serve warm with Irish butter with your dinner. Slainte!
Join Small Forest‘s mailing list to hear about their upcoming album release which includes Kuhns’ new song Inisheer (Inis Oírr), inspired by the extensive, hand-built stone walls of Ireland.
Come to Door County, Wisconsin for this St. Patrick’s Day weekend and get your GREEN ON!
The annual St. Pat’s Parade in Sturgeon Bay will be held at 11am on March 14, 2015. For available lodging options and deals, visit Door County Lodging’s Last Minute Lodging Blog!