Earl Grey Tea Bread

 Merry Christmas, my baking munchkins! I've been missing for the past month, mostly because I had seven concerts and two college auditions, among a million rehearsals to go to and applications to fill out. It rounded out what has been by far the busiest year of my life.

Whenever I feel like I need to take a minute to breathe and relax, I make myself a cup of tea. This is partly because I'm an old lady at heart, but also because tea is basically the lifeblood of any singer. Earl Grey is my favorite, and my love of it in desserts has been well-documented on here (hello chocolate chip cookies, eclairs, and ice cream). I love the flavor it brings to sweets, which is both complex and comforting.
This bread is perfect for a lazy weekend breakfast, or for that 5-minute mid-afternoon break between school and rehearsal. It's putting a sweet, creamy cup of tea in snack form, and I can't think of anything better than that. Go crazy and have it with a warm mug of coffee or tea, because why not? Caffeine is a good thing, my friends.

While I keep promising myself that my schedule will start to clear up and I'll have some time to slow down, I know it's probably not true. Which is okay, because in addition to being the craziest, the past year has been the most exciting ever. I can't wait to see what 2015 brings.
Enjoy!

Earl Grey Tea Bread

(adapted from Food Network)

1 3/4 cups flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup cooled strong Earl Grey tea, divided

2 tablespoons honey

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; coat well with cooking spray.

Whisk together the dry ingredients and orange zest.
Beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, followed by 3/4 cup tea. Fold in the dry ingredients.
Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean.
Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup tea and the honey. Pour over the bread while still warm.

Let cool 1 hour, then remove the loaf from the pan and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Spiced Zucchini Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

 I'd like to take a moment to talk about mutant vegetables. Zucchini, to be more exact.
Around this time of year, food bloggers tend to start a trail of complaints along the lines of, "OMG, I can't even deal with how much zucchini is growing in my backyard and I'm so overwhelmed and it's taking over my kitchen and my life is really hard."
 The thing is, I live in New York City, where if your backyard is big enough to hold one small zucchini, you should consider yourself lucky. So I don't have a whole lot of sympathy.

Above is my dog, lying next to a zucchini we were given by a friend with her own little vegetable patch. Guys, this was one crazy zucchini - it was over a foot long. I didn't even know this ridiculous, genetically outrageous thing was possible in nature. Seriously, what?!

Regardless, I suddenly had a lot more understanding of the complaints popping up on my computer screen constantly, and I decided to tone down my own sass. And that's my life lesson for the day. (Is there even a lesson in there? I don't know. You're welcome anyway.)

This cake is crazy delicious. As in, way better than I ever thought a dessert based on a vegetable could be. (Although to be fair, that's pretty much the only healthy thing about it.) It's full of shredded zucchini, making it really moist, and it's studded with bittersweet chocolate chips. (These make everything better. We've been through this before.) I topped it with a quick cream cheese frosting made with both orange zest and juice (I used a blood orange, but you can use any kind), which adds a nice little pop of flavor to this summery cake.
Enjoy!

Spiced Zucchini Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

(adapted from Emeril Lagasse's Farm to Fork)

for the cake:

3 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)

for the frosting: 

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons orange juice

grated zest of one orange

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, and grease an 8" square cake pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs until foamy. Add the vegetable oil, sugar, zucchini, and vanilla extract and mix well. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and baking powder, and mix until well blended. Stir in the chocolate. Pour the batter into the pan, and tap it gently on the counter to release any air bubbles.
Bake until the cake has risen and is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes; then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool.
Once the cake is completely cooled to room temperature, make the frosting. With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, the orange juice and the orange zest. Add more sugar or juice, until it reaches the desired consistency. Spread on top of cake (if you'd like to frost the sides as well, double the frosting recipe).

Perfect Banana Bread

 It deeply annoys me when people title their recipes "the best," "the greatest," or even "perfect." Who proclaimed your food the most wonderful ever created? You and your official declaration committee? Let's get real, there's a 99.99% chance your chocolate chip cookies are nothing particularly mind-blowing.
If you notice my own recipe title, you may choose to call me a hypocrite. That's kind of valid in this case, but hear me out.
Banana bread is one of those sweets that most Americans have grown up eating. Everybody has their own "secret" family recipe they swear by, and the variations on the basic formula are endless. However, my parents don't bake at all, ever, so I've spent the past seven years trying to find my perfect banana bread recipe. This is soft, fluffy, incredibly moist, and studded with slivers of dark chocolate (hi there, in case we haven't met, chocolate is kind of a necessity in my kitchen).
Thanks to a college road trip that took me and my dad through Boston, we stumbled across Flour Bakery and Cafe. (Okay, I won't lie to you, I googled "best bakery in Boston.") The place is adorable and wonderful and full of delicious pastries, and it's because of Joanne Chang's beautiful book that I got my hands on this recipe. So thank you, Flour, for helping me create my own family tradition.
Enjoy!

 Perfect Banana Bread 

(slightly adapted from Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe)

1 2/3 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (230 grams) sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup (100 grams) canola or other flavourless oil

3 1/2 very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed (about 1 1/2 cups or 340 grams mashed bananas)

2 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup dark chocolate disks, roughly chopped (or chop up a dark chocolate bar)

Position the rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 325°F (165°C). Butter and flour a 9x5" loaf pan.
 In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, or a handheld mixer, beat together the sugar and eggs on medium speed for about 5 minutes for the stand mixer, and about 8 minutes for a handheld mixer; or until light and fluffy.
With the machine on low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil. Do not pour the oil in all at once. Add it slowly so it has time to incorporate into the eggs and doesn't deflate the air you have just beaten into the batter. Adding the oil should take about 1 minute.
Add the bananas, creme fraiche/sour cream, and vanilla, then continue to mix on low speed just until combined.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture and chocolate just until thoroughly combined. No flour streaks should be visible and the chocolate should be evenly distributed.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until golden brown on top and the cake springs back when you press it. If your finger sinks when you poke the bread, it needs to bake a little longer.
Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes; flip bread out of pan and allow to cool completely before slicing.
(Note: I feel that I should follow standard recipe rules and advise waiting until this has come to room temperature to taste it. However, if you were to accidentally have a piece warm out of the oven, I'd be pretty proud.)

Nutella-Swirled Pumpkin Bread

When it comes to fall, pumpkin bread is one of those things that never gets old. As food bloggers, it's our job to come up with a million and one variations on classics, and in my opinion, Nutella makes just about everything exponentially better. When I saw a Nutella-infused pumpkin bread, I figured, why not?
This cake is tender and moist, and the pumpkin flavor isn't too strong. There's a huge amount of Nutella in here, but that's what makes it so delicious and gooey. It's a new fall classic, if that's possible. 
Whenever I bake anything that isn't super messy, I bring some of it into school to share with a friend or two. Last week, I had a few friends complain that they never got sugary goodie bags - needy people! ;) - so this was their reward for waiting so long. I think it was worth it.
Enjoy!

Nutella-Swirled Pumpkin Bread

(from Real Mom Kitchen)

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup water
1 cup unsweetened canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
roughly 1/2 cup Nutella (or other chocolate hazelnut spread)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 4 mini loaf pans with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, water, pumpkin, eggs, and extracts. Whisk until smooth and combined.
Slowly stir in the flour mixture. Mix until ingredients are combined.
Pour the batter into the mini loaf pans, making sure batter is evenly divided. Drop 2 heaping tablespoons of Nutella onto each loaf pan. Swirl the Nutella into the pumpkin batter with a knife. Place the loaf pans onto a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Place the loaf pans on a wire rack. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan and then carefully remove the loaves. Cool completely before slicing.

*Note-You can make regular size loaves. This recipe should make 2 8×4 loaves. Adjust baking time to about 60 minutes. 

Fall Spice Pumpkin Bread

 I'm back to new baking, and I'm loving it. I was so sick of endless breads and repeating the same recipes over and over, but yesterday I decided to get into all the fall baking. I recently realized that although I love it and tend to pay far too much for it at coffee shops, I've never made my own pumpkin bread. This had to be fixed!
Pumpkin bread is one of those "breads" that are really quickbreads, like banana bread- basically an excuse to eat cake for breakfast. Hey, I'm not complaining.
I went straight to this recipe on Allrecipes, which is basically the food blogger's go-to pumpkin bread- it has thousands of great reviews. Be warned, this makes a LOT of pumpkin bread. It's supposed to make three small-ish loaves, but I baked it all in one big tube pan, and ended up cutting slices in half. No matter how big the slices were, I was so glad I made this bread. It is delicious- so moist but fluffy at the same time, which is hard to do. Warm out of the oven, I thought it was a little bland, but after resting overnight, it was a whole different cake. It is full of fall spices and bursting with pumpkin flavor. The perfect way to get back into baking, and get into all my favorite delicious fall flavors. Enjoy!

Fall Spice Pumpkin Bread

(slightly adapted from Allrecipes)

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil 

2/3 cup water

3 cups white sugar

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda 

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a large bundt pan, or two 9x5" loaf pans. 

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans. 

Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cheesy & Sweet Cornbread

I do realize that I have been putting up a ridiculous amount of corn-centered recipes lately. This is for several reasons:
1. It is probably my mom's absolute favorite quick snack or breakfast treat. Hey, I like it too, so l don't complain about making it all the time.
2. Since my mom found out she has Celiac disease and can't eat gluten, we discovered that cornbread/cake is one if of the easiest things to make. Usually the recipes only take a bit of flour, which can be substituted, and many are naturally gluten-free.
3. Everybody swears that their recipe is the best (this particular one is my aunt's, slightly adapted by me.) Hey, that means we have to try all of them, right? Our problem is that they are all good! One I made last week was moist like a pudding; another recent one was a classic, one you could make for just about any meal or time of day; this one is cheesy and sweet at the same time. So yes, I have a lot of cornbread posts. But they are all worth trying. I promise.

This cornbread comes together in about five minutes- from a counter of ingredients, you are less than an hour away from cheesy goodness. You might think the combination of cheese and sugar doesn't go together, but it does- think of cheesecake. Or just trust me on this one. I promise you'll thank me later.
This isn't dessert, but it's sweet enough to feel like a slightly indulgent snack. It's best eaten warm, when you still have some gooey shreds of cheese to balance out the sugar. Eat it with a cup of coffee for breakfast, with a glass of milk as a snack, or with a big bowl of chili for dinner... You may find it impossible to resist eating large slices of it between meals. Not that I would do that (cough cough). Enjoy! <3Cheesy & Sweet Cornbread

2 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 cups sugar plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup oil
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 11x17" pan (you can use a 9x13", but it will be thicker.)
Stir together the cornmeal and 2 cups of the sugar in a large bowl. Stir in the cornstarch, baking powder, eggs, milk, oil, and cheese one by one.
Pour into the pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the edges are browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
As soon as it is out of the oven, prick all over with a fork. Spread on the butter so it melts and sprinkle on the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon. Serve warm.

Lemon Cranberry Irish Soda Bread with Honey Butter

I am a firm believer that Irish Soda Bread is a year-round food. Lots of people only make it around St. Patrick's Day, but it is one of my dad's favorite treats, so it gets baked during all four seasons in my house. The bread TWD made a while ago is a traditional one, and is simple to put together; however, it isn't very sweet at all. My family prefers the American-ized version, which is sweet and more cake-like. I have a go-to recipe, which is great, but I was sick of the same raisins and plain flavor. I found this recipe, which has lemon and cranberry, and decided to give it a try.

I liked it a lot. This is even more cake-like than the other (really not like a bread), and quite sweet, but is perfect for a snack or light breakfast. The tart cranberries and lemon go together so well and the flavor combination is one of my favorites. It is served with a sweet honey butter that is so easy to whip up, and is the perfect spread for this bread/cake- although if you want to skip it, the bread tastes great on its own. The best part of this recipe? It was approved by my dad, who is quite the soda bread connoisseur. Enjoy! <3

Lemon Cranberry Irish Soda Bread with Honey Butter
(ever-so-slightly adapted from Eat and Relish)

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons sugar, + extra for sprinkling
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup hot water
juice and zest of one lemon
2 teaspoons milk or buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place the dried cranberries, hot water, and juice from the lemon into a small bowl, and let the berries soften. Cut a piece of parchment to fit into a 8″ round cake pan, and place inside. Lightly butter the parchment.
Whisk the flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in alarge bowl to blend. Add the butter, and using your fingertips rub the butter into the dry ingredients until a coarse meal forms. It will be very dry.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the buttermilk and the lemon zest. Gradually the stir dry ingredients into the milk with a spatula to blend until they are just combined (do not overmix – mix only until the ingredients just come together, otherwise your bread will be tough). Once combined, drain the cranberries and discard the liquid. Squeeze them to remove any excess moisture, and add them to the dough. Carefully and gently fold them in.
Transfer dough to the prepared pan and smooth out as much as possible with your hands (you may want to flour them). Flatten slightly (dough will not come to the edges of pan), and brush the top with the milk. Sprinkle the bread with the remaining sugar.
Bake the bread until it is light golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, just about 40 minutes — start checking it around 30 minutes to avoid overcooking. Cool the bread in pan 10 minutes, then gently transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with honey butter (recipe below).

Honey Butter

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons honey

Beat butter briefly until it is creamy. Beat in the honey. Refrigerate so that it is no longer liquidy (it can get liquidy as you are beating it), but let it soften slightly before serving.

Healthy Honey Zucchini Bread

Although it may not seem like it from how many sweets I post, I don't actually just eat cupcakes and pie all day. Most of what I make gets taken to work with my dad to share with his colleagues or given to friends, and I end up having just a bit of it. This week, I wanted to bake something that I could have for breakfast during the week without feeling guilty about starting my day with tons of sugar. I decided to put together a few different zucchini bread recipes and create one that was as healthy as I could make it.

This bread is simple to whip up in the afternoon so that you can have it for breakfast the next day. Or as a snack right after baking it. Or for lunch. Or dinner. You know...
This uses whole wheat flour, pecans (you could also use walnuts), and lots of zucchini, which makes it pretty filling. I substituted honey and applesauce for the usual sugar and oil, making it moist with a hint of sweetness. It didn't come through as sweet as I wanted it to, so I like to serve each slice with a drizzle of honey. If you're looking for a dessert, this isn't it, but this is pretty tasty.
Enjoy! <3

Healthy Honey Zucchini Bread

a little over 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
a bit over 1/4 cup honey
2/3 cup plain applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large zucchini, shredded
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Oil or butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, honey, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir in shredded zucchini. Stir in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and pecans just until no streaks remain.
Pour batter into greased loaf pan and sprinkle the top with the sugar. Bake until golden and a skewer or knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about an hour. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Let cool for at least an hour before slicing, or wrap in plastic wrap and store overnight.
- makes 1 loaf

Old-Fashioned Cranberry Orange Nut Bread

I recently realized that some of my favorite recipes aren't on here. Since I make them so often, I guess I never think to take pictures and put up the recipe; doing so is one of my new goals for this blog! This bread is one of my family's favorites. It is a hearty, moist loaf of sweet bread that is perfect for snacking on throughout the day. The flavors of orange and cranberry are delicious with the crunchy nuts, and the loaf will keep well for days.

I call it "Old-Fashioned" because it comes from a colonial cookbook. In elementary school, we had a "colonial day" at school where everybody had to bring in a recipe, and this was one that my teacher gave me. My mom and I, having baked very little from scratch, were cautious, but once we tasted it, very proud. I remember coming into school and telling everybody in my class how excited I was that this "bread" was actually like a cake - a pleasant surprise for a fourth grader! Once my aunt tasted this bread, it became her favorite recipe that I make. This week she wasn't feeling well, so we decided to send her a care package. I knew this had to be in there.
Despite how challenged we were by making this six years ago, yesterday I realized that this is a very simple recipe. Dry ingredients are stirred together, shortening is cut in, and wet ingredients and add-ins are combined. Quick to put together and ideal for a rainy afternoon. Trust me, the smell of this bread baking in the oven will make you want to bake it every day. Enjoy! <3

Old-Fashioned Cranberry Orange Nut Bread
(slightly adapted from Smithsonian Folklife Cookbook)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup shortening
zest of one orange
3/4 cup orange juice
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Stir together dry ingredients. Cut in shortening.
Combine orange zest, juice, and egg. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture, stirring just enough to moisten. Fold in cranberries and nuts.
Pour batter into a greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Cool, then wrap and store overnight before serving.

Gluten-Free Sour Cream Cornbread

Sometimes you really need the perfect little side dish. This week we were making chili and were sick of our usual tortilla chips as a snack to go along with it, but I decided to try to make cornbread. I've made corn muffins once before, but never cornbread. There's a first time for everything!
I wanted to make this gluten-free so that my mom could eat it, and I was able to find a recipe online that seemed simple. However, I'm sure it would be fine to use regular flour - actually, that's true for all of the gluten-free recipes on this blog.

We really were not able to taste the difference between this and regular cornbread, although this is probably due to the large amount of cornmeal that would be in there anyway. So not that much is being substituted. My mom was so happy with this and had it for breakfast the next day, too. It was delicious and will be made many times in our house!

Gluten-Free Sour Cream Cornbread
(slightly adapted from Land O'Lakes)
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 cup gluten-free flour blend (I use King Arthur)
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2/3 cup gluten-free yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 425°F. Combine butter and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs; mix well. Stir in sour cream and milk. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining ingredients. Beat just until mixed.
Pour batter into greased 8-inch square or round baking pan. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm.

TWD: Irish Soda Bread

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie was quite a surprise! Judging from the recipe, I was not super excited to make this - flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk? Doesn't sound too appealing... I decided to make this on St. Patrick's Day, and added in lots of golden raisins for some more flavor.
It worked so well! The bread had an amazing texture for how quick it was to make, and it ended up being quite sweet from all the raisins. I loved it! I am still toasting pieces in the morning for breakfast - I put it in the fridge and it did not turn "as hard as a stone" as Julia says.
I really recommend this one! Thanks to Carla of Chocolate Moosey and Cathleen of My Culinary Mission for hosting this week. The recipe can be found on their blogs.
Enjoy!

<3

Post #101!!!! The Best Irish Soda Bread

This is post #101! Just for that, let's put in 101 exclamation points: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay.
Now, last week I asked you what you wanted me to put up as my 100th post. But, I didn't have time and that ended up being yesterday's TWD. So it's my 101th post. Deal with it.
Everyone who voted decided on me posting my best recipe for Irish Soda Bread. So that's what's happening here today.
If the words "Irish Soda Bread" makes you think of thinly sliced bread that tastes like fennel, you're right. That is a type of Irish Soda Bread. But not my type. This type has a hard crust, but is almost like a cake on the inside. It is crumbly but moist, and quite sweet (but definitely not overly so). It's perfect as breakfast, a snack, or as dessert (once it gets stale, it's great toasted with butter). Every time there is a special occasion, it is requested. So basically what I'm saying is that you HAVE to make this bread. Now. Pleeeeeeeeeease? You won't regret it. So here's the recipe (please note that this is an extreme risk for me, because once the lovers of this bread see how easy it is to make, it will never be requested again).

Irish Soda Bread (from The Spatulatta Cookbook)
(makes 2 loaves of soda bread)

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
5 (yes, I said 5) teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, beaten slightly
1 1/4 cups black raisins
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 to 2 cups regular or low-fat cultured buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Stir together the flour, salt, soda, and baking powder in the bowl.
3. Unwrap the butter and set aside the wrapper, which you'll use to grease the cookie sheet. Stir the butter into the flour mixture until it is crumbly.
4. Add the eggs, raisins, and sugar. Stir well, then use your clean hands and fists to scoop the dry ingredients from the bottom of the bowl and gently push them into the dough.
5. With another person, add the buttermilk, a little at a time, until the dough is sticky. One person stirs while the other slowly pours the buttermilk.
6. Sprinkle flour on the counter or flat surface (and your hands and wrists - just trust me), remove the dough and shape into rounds.
7. Knead the dough ten times. Fold and press, then turn the dough. Repeat ten times. Kneading gives the bread its good texture.
8. Cut the dough in half and shape it into 2 rounds.
9. Rub the cookie sheet all over with the buttered side of the wrapper.
10. When your loaves are on the sheet, use a floured butter knife to cut into, but not all the way through, the tops of the bread, in an "X" shape. This is called scoring.
11. Bake the bread for 45 to 60 minutes until the bread is a nice nutty brown.

Enjoy!!!