Irish Soda Bread

So, I had never eaten or baked this bread before, so I am not sure what it is supposed to taste like.  But it is interesting, and not in a bad way. It has a very distinctive flavor. No, I don't want to make this bread again and again, but it is fun to make around St. Patrick's Day. I also think it is really cool that it tastes as good as it does without using any yeast.

Quick story about this bread before I move on to the recipe. We had a potluck on St. Patrick's Day at work. I brought the Irish soda bread. After lunch, I ran it up to our breakroom and put it in th fridge. When I came up three hours late to claim my bread, someone had taken it. I was shocked. I work with a bunch of elderly volunteers doing Church history. I guess it must of just looked that good.


Irish Soda Bread (from Our Best Bites blog)
 

1 cup flour 

2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour 

1 1/4 teaspoons salt 

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 

2 teaspoons white sugar 

4 Tbs butter

2 cups buttermilk 

1/4 cup vegetable oil 

For Topping:

1 tablespoon buttermilk or milk

1 teaspoon white sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet or other shallow baking pan.

 

Whisk together the flour, whole wheat flour, salt, baking soda, and 2 teaspoons sugar in a bowl.

Cut the butter into the flour mixture until pieces are crumb-size. 

Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the oil and buttermilk. (As you can tell, I underestimated the depth that would be needed so make a large well.

Stir with a spatula until dry mixture is completely moistened. Move the dough to a lightly-floured surface. Lightly knead the dough a few times and then form into a round ball and pat down a little. 

Place the dough into the prepared pan; pat down and around to form a round loaf. Cut a cross into the top of the loaf with a sharp knife. Brush the top with 1 tablespoon buttermilk or milk, and sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over the top. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F, rotate pan and bake another 25-30 minutes. 

Allow loaf to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes before slicing. 

Cheers!

Success #2: Hu La La Cookies

So, it is official, Lion House has the best recipes. 2 out of the 3 recipes I have made were exceptional (the other recipe wasn't bad either, but just not amazing). This cookie recipe is thick, crunchy, and rich.

  The recipe is different than your average cookie mix. You mix in most of your dry products first, and then  cut in butter (like a pastry). Finally, you add in eggs to make it a dough. Yes, this process takes a little more tender, loving care--but it is beyond worth it.
   Now, for all those out there that do not like coconut tons, these cookies do have a lot of coconut in them, but the flavor is not overwhelmingly coconutty. The coconut adds more to the texture than it does to the flavor.
   Just one last note before I get to the recipe. The cookie dough is dry and needs to be patted together to make into cookies. It also does not spread much at all, so whatever size you make, it will end up being the same size.

Enjoy these amazing cookies!!!

Hu La La Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups coconut
2 cups rolled oats (I used quick-oats, but old-fashioned oats will just make it chewier.)
3 egss
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, sugars (I always get excited when you have a reason to pluralize non-count nouns. Yup, I am a grammar dork.), baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Cut in butter and mix until well blended. [This will take a bit of time. I used a fork, but if you have a pastry cutter, that will work even better. Don't worry if it is still very dry when the butter is mixed in. It will turn into a dough with the eggs.)

Add coconut and oatmeal and mix briefly. [I also like that the recipe uses the word briefly here. I am not sure what that means exactly, but I just mixed the coconut and oats all the way in.]

Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. [This also takes a bit of stirring, but even if you don't believe it, there is enough liquid to make the whole bowl into a dough.]

Stir in chocolate chips.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies.