St. Patrick's Day, 2017

Lilah's favorite holiday for this very lively introduction

St. Patrick's Day dinner started at 9 am with a piece of corned beef brisket from Your Butcher Frank placed in a big crock pot on top of potatoes, carrots and onions covered with a frothy can of Guinness. Turn on low. Lilah came over in the afternoon to help cook, and put her own hair up, before getting on to her Banoffee Pie duty. She's a pro with that, after her Valentine's Day success, and used chocolate shavings in the shape of a shamrock for decoration. We also made Rose's famous Kale Chips, which will convert the most die-hard kale hater, and the main piece de resistance--Irish Soda Bread--taught by the master, Joann Dornich, who was visiting for the holiday weekend. When I asked Lilah what St. Patrick's Day meant, she said that you "wear green." By the end of the night--after our toasts, prayers, and dance party--she knew a lot more about how to celebrate the holiday!

Joann Dornich’s Irish Soda Bread

Makes 1 big round loaf or 2 smaller ones

3 cups sifted flour (can use half whole wheat and half white)

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup currants or raisins

1 1/3 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Glaze:

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons hot water

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Sift flour, the three tablespoons of sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium-sized bowl.  Mix in currants and caraway seeds.  Add buttermilk and mix until well blended (dough will be sticky.)

Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead about 10 times.  Shape into an 8-inch round loaf.  Place on a greased (or sprayed or parchment-lined) baking sheet.  Cut a cross (+) into the top of the loaf with a sharp knife.  (Note:  Joann cuts this really deeply, about a third of the way into the dough.)

Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes.  Dissolve sugar for the glaze in the hot water in a cup and brush generously over the hot loaf.  Bake ten minutes longer until richly golden brown.

Tip

Instead of using a sugar-water glaze on the top of the bread at the end, you can also soak the currants or raisins in about 1/3 cup of hot water while you are preparing the dry ingredients.  When ready to add the fruit to the dough, drain and reserve the liquid to use for the final glaze to impart an even deeper, richer color to the finished loaf.