Here's a guest post from my friend Kaitlyn who offered to make Irish Soda Bread, drop it off at my house, and write it up for the arugula files. Yes, that's called the luck of the Irish. Take it away, Kaitlyn!
St. Patrick’s Day is this Saturday, and you know what that means.
Pull out your “Kiss me I’m Irish” pin! Throw on something green! To hell with that Italian last name! Go and celebrate your highly questionable Irish heritage by downing Guinness and gnoshing on Corned Beef and Cabbage!
Oh, Corned Beef and Cabbage. I have such pungent memories of those two, boiling and steeping in my Grandma’s kitchen, with me hoping and praying as dinnertime approached that my Mom wouldn’t make me eat the latter. But at a young age, I had good reason. Immigrant Irish Cuisine can make you say Erin Go Blah instead of Erin Go Braugh.
But times are a’ changin’. Modern Irish Cuisine has had some promising movements. And I’ve come to learn that some oldies can still be goodies, especially if they’re updated for a modern twist.
Enter my Great-Grammy Sullivan’s Irish Soda Bread.
Unlike a lot of Irish Soda Breads, you won’t break your tooth on its rock hard exterior. This one is moist and a little sweet. Plus, it’s got Craisins! Nothing says Erin Go Braugh like Craisins!
Grammy Sullivan's Irish Soda Bread
Yield: 3 – 9x5 loaves
(Grammy Sullivan cooked for 9 kids, so yes, the yield quantity is big. Cut in half to accommodate.)
Ingredients:
2 cups sour cream
4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups Craisins
2 eggs
2 sticks butter
2 shots of Irish Whiskey
Directions:
Mix eggs, butter and sugar into a wet mixture. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add the dry mix into the wet. Add in the sour cream, and then fold in the Craisins.
Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. If the tops of the loaves begin to get too dark, cover in aluminum foil to make sure the tops don’t burn. Consume 2 shots of whiskey in celebration of not completely ruining old timey family recipe.
