Soda Bread

Here is a great recipe for Irish Soda Bread I came up with. I love using browned butter, I think it gives an indescribable depth of flavor. I have been very busy lately as we are getting ready to remodel our kitchen so I have actually been trying to post this for the last week, just never getting around to it. I realized that as I am posting it today, St Patrick's Day, it couldn't be more perfect timing!

Irish Soda Bread
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup spelt flour
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3 TBS brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
5 tbs brown butter
1 egg
1 cup golden raisins

Pre heat oven to 425. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Heat the butter in a small pan and continue to cook it over very low heat until it starts to turn brown. When you put a small amount of butter on a white plate or light surface the butter should look a golden brown color. This is what is called Beurre Noisette or browned butter. Scrape it into a medium bowl (along with all the little dark bits stuck to the bottom of the pan). Once it's no longer hot to the touch whisk in the buttermilk, whisking fast the whole time until everything is mixed in, then whisk in the egg and combine with dry ingredients and golden raisins. Mix just until everything comes together. Divide the dough into two equal sized balls, place them on a greased sheet pan (or one lined with parchment paper) and gently pat into a fairly smooth looking balls and make an x 1/2 " deep in each ball. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes then reduce to 375 and bake to 30-35min. This is best eaten right after it's baked but will be good as toast the following day.

Cranberry Cornmeal Muffins

We often have muffins around, I like them as a healthy quick and easy snack. Because they are around often, I like to make them as healthy, and try to incorporate as much fiber as I can. I have quite a few favorites I like to use, but this is a new recipe that turned out nicely. As time goes on I will post some of the other recipes I like, but for now this recipe turned out to be a great way to use up some left over cranberries. As with all muffin recipes,they are very flexible and any other berry could easily be substituted.



Cranberry Cornmeal Muffins (makes about 15 smaller muffins or 12 larger ones)

3/4 cups spelt or whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup stone ground cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tbs ground flax seed
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbs oil or melted butter
1 1/2 cup cranberries (you can chop them or keep them whole)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix the wet ingredients (buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and oil) to combine and pour into dry ingredients. Continue mixing until almost all mixed in, and add the cranberries and fold just until all the dry ingredients are no longer visible. At this point while you are greasing the muffin tins let the batter sit 10-20 minutes. By letting the batter sit it gives it a chance for all the liquid to be absorbed by the dry ingredients, which will make the batter thicker and easier to scoop. Fill the muffin tins 1/2 - 3/4 full and bake until the muffin springs back when gently pressed in the middle. Rotate the muffin tins half way through baking to help bake evenly. After taking out of the oven let them cool for 5-10 minutes and turn them out onto a cooling rack until completely cool.