Irish Bad Boy... and LOVING IT!!!
I know... I know... Purists will chastise me... Hardliners may disown me... My Irish heritage is appalled and I am sure my ancestors are stirring in their graves readying to mount a zombie attack against me and my disrespectful ways...I'm not much of a baker, but years ago when I was running parenting workshops with my very Irish friend Mary Dowd, she introduced me to her version of Irish Soda Bread that was just divine. She was kind enough to share her recipe and I had fun making the breads on my own. Easy peasy...
...and then...
I was getting ingredients to make the breads one year and there they were... calling to me... and I thought... hmmmmm, this might work... Enter the beautiful, amazing, tasty and tradition-bucking...
----CRAISINS----
Irish Soda Bread made with craisins has been my St. Patrick's Day signature treat ever since; friends and family rave quietly by way of yummy noises every year. Ohhhhh the sacrilege... The recipe is best used as a dessert or breakfast bread, because... well, the craisins are just a little weird with corned beef ;-) So without further ado, let me introduce you to something quite different from Irish tradition:
Chef Michael's Irish Soda Bread
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 16 oz. container sour cream
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1 cup Craisins…. YES CRAISINS!!!
Yes... I know I am handing my fellow diabetics pure sugar, but there's a good chance not all our guests share our disease, and as always... moderation is our friend. We diabetics are diligent all year round, right? So, in a nutshell... "Live a little!" a few times a year is how I roll... Enjoy!
Mix all dry ingredients well. Add egg and sour cream.
Fold ingredients with floured hands until well combined, but not overly mixed.
Fold in and combine... and combine.... yeah, right LOL
Basically, squoosh the hell out of this messy, very sticky batch
of gooey goodness until you have a big, sticky ball.
Then... just when you're ready to launch Irish obscenities....
You're done!
Bake at 375 degrees in greased 9” cake pan for about 50-60 minutes
or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Enjoy!
Serve as a dessert or for breakfast… Add a little butter and OMG YUM!
And... all my fellow diabetics? Moderation, please!
Blessed be... and happy cooking!