Okay before we begin I will admit this not a “traditional” true Irish Soda Bread. The real deal is just flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. My wife however truly likes the raisins or currants in the bread and so this recipe has them. To tell when it is cooked properly the bottom when tapped will sound hollow.
Ingredients
4 cups of flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup raisins or currants
Irish Soda Bread Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°
Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, add the raisins and stir to spread the raisins through the flour. Add the buttermilk and stir until the flour just combines ( depending on a number of conditions you may need to add a little more buttermilk, if the dough doesn’t come together, add the buttermilk a tablespoon at a time) . Turn dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and lightly knead no more than 15 times ( the more you work the dough the less it will rise ). Form into a circle about 9 inches in diameter and about 2 inches high. Place into a round cake pan and cover with another cake pan and bake for about 25 minutes. Take cake pan lid off and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand in pan for about 10 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Serve sliced with softened butter and enjoy your Irish Soda Bread.
There is I think nothing as satisfying as hot scones on a cold morning, or for that matter on any morning. Warm, buttered with a dollop of jam and these flaky tasty morsel brighten any morning. They are as good cooled so you don’t have to worry about not finishing the plate at one sitting.
Warm Scone with butter and jam
This wonderful creation like Scottish Shortbread most likely originated out of the Bannock a round cake baked on a griddle and made with unleavened oats and cut into segments. Once baking powder became available and wheat flour more accessible the present day scone recipe evolved.
This recipe can be embellished in any number of ways. You can add fruit, raisins or currants, for a dessert add chocolate chips. Make them savory scones by adding fine herbs, spicy with pumpkin, or with cheese, or bacon the ideas are endless.
In some areas of the U.S. they try to pass off a fried dough as a scone, I was once sorely disappointed in a restaurant at a truck stop that placed one in front of me; immediately drying up, my already watering with expectation, mouth. Such an affront would surely get any true Scotsman’s kilt in a knot. Too bad they are a national chain and are spreading this blasphemy all over the country.
If you are in the highlands don’t be asking for a scone ( skone -s cone) they’ll not know what yer askin, rather ask for a scone (skon -s-con).
Special tools for making Scones:
½ sheet pan greased
pastry cutter
pastry scrapper
Scottish Scones Ingredients:
¾ cup of milk (you can substitute buttermilk for a rich alternative)
1 egg beaten
2 cups flour – sifted
2 tbs sugar
1 tbs baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup of butter = 5 1/3 tbs.cut to small cubes
Baking directions for Scottish Scones:
Set oven to 425º with rack in the center. Sift all the dry ingredients into a bowl add the butter and using the pastry cutter cut in the butter until you have a mixture with the consistency of corn meal.
You can also come into the 21st century and use a food processor for these first steps. Simply add the dry ingredients to the bowl of the processor and add the butter and with the blade attachment pulse until you have the desired consistency, then place into a bowl and continue.
Add the egg and milk and stir only until no flour shows.
add egg and milkstir until no flour shows
If the mixture is dry or stiff add a little more milk you should have a slightly gooey and moist dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead very gently 15 times (baking powder dough doesn’t like to be worked too much). Once kneaded cut dough in half and shape each half into a ball. Press the ball down to form a round and cut into 8 pieces.
cut in halfform into rounds and cut into 8 pieces
Place the pieces onto a greased cookie sheet spacing them as they will rise while baking.
space on sheet pan
Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Serve warm with softened butter and jam.
¾ cup of milk (you can substitute buttermilk for a rich alternative)
1 egg beaten
2 cups flour - sifted
2 tbs sugar
1 tbs baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup of butter = 5 1/3 tbs.cut to small cubes
Instructions
Set oven to 425º with rack in the center. Sift all the dry ingredients into a bowl add the butter and using the pastry cutter cut in the butter until you have a mixture with the consistency of corn meal.
You can also come into the 21st century and use a food processor for these first steps. Simply add the dry ingredients to the bowl of the processor and add the butter and with the blade attachment pulse until you have the desired consistency, then place into a bowl and continue.
Add the egg and milk and stir only until no flour shows.
If the mixture is dry or stiff add a little more milk you should have a slightly gooey and moist dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead very gently 15 times (baking powder dough doesn't like to be worked too much). Once kneaded cut dough in half and shape each half into a ball. Press the ball down to form a round and cut into 8 pieces.
Place the pieces onto a greased cookie sheet spacing them as they will rise while baking.
Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Serve warm with softened butter and jam.
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With very little practice Filet Mignon and Bearnaise Sauce makes a great start to a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner, or for that matter a great dinner any time!
Fool Proof Blender Bearnaise Sauce:
I found the idea for this recipe in the New York Times Heritage Cookbook by Jean Hewitt, 1980 Ed., I’ve changed it a little but it never fails to come out great.
Ingredients for Bearnaise Sauce
3 egg yolks
1½ sticks of butter melted
1 tsp lemon juice
Dash of salt & pepper
2 to 3 dashes of Tabasco sauce
1 tbs tarragon
3-4 tbs red wine vinegar
Blender Bearnaise Sauce
In a small fry pan place the tarragon and the red wine vinegar , bring to a boil and continue to cook until vinegar as been completely reduced.Put tarragon into a small bowl and set aside.
Tarragon and red wine vinegar completely reduced
In a blender place the three egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce. Blend for three or four seconds. Make sure the melted butter is not too hot. Turn blender on and slowly pour butter into blender until all is blended. You now have Hollandaise sauce. Put tarragon in and blend again for a few seconds until all is combined . You should now have a fairly thick sauce. Unlike regular Hollandaise you do not need to clarify the butter you can pour the whole thing into the mixture. Have all ingredients ready to go and you can make this sauce after you have turned the filet mignons in the broiler.
Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon
Take your filets and wrap one slice of bacon around the side stretching the bacon slightly and secure with a toothpick. Place on a broiler pan and broil in the oven until your desired doneness. Plate; add a vegetable and a potato ,spoon some Bearnaise over the steak and put the rest of the sauce in a gravy boat. Serve with a nice bottle of wine and you’ll have a dinner to remember.
Filet Mignon, there really is nothing else to say except “YUMMIE”, a 5 paw recipe, paws down!
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In a blender place the three egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce. Blend for three or four seconds. Make sure the melted butter is not too hot. Turn blender on and slowly pour butter into blender until all is blended. You now have Hollandaise sauce. Put tarragon in and blend again for a few seconds until all is combined . You should now have a fairly thick sauce. Unlike regular Hollandaise you do not need to clarify the butter you can pour the whole thing into the mixture. Have all ingredients ready to go and you can make this sauce after you have turned the filet mignons in the broiler.
Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon
Take your filets and wrap one slice of bacon around the side stretching the bacon slightly and secure with a toothpick. Place on a broiler pan and broil in the oven until your desired doneness.
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