Dream of irish scones and other irish recipes

http://www.littleshamrocks.com/Irish-Bread-Scone-Recipes.html

Perfect Scones
From the Kitchen of Mary Lydon Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland
3 cups self-rising flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of sea salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter, softened
3 tablespoons castor (superfine) sugar,
plus 2 teaspoons to dust
3/4 cup sultanas or raisins
3 large eggs
1 cup ice-cold milk, extra to glaze

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a large bowl. Add the butter in little pieces and rub it in using the tips of your fingers and lifting the flour up high to aerate it.

When the butter is incorporated the mixture should look like fine bread crumbs. Sir in the sugar, then sultanas. In another bowl, beat the egg with the milk. Pour 3/4 into the flour mixture and quickly mix together with a large table knife, adding extra mixture as necessary to give a soft but not sticky dough. Do not over-mix; the quicker and lighter the mixing, the higher your scones will rise. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and very gently roll with a rolling pin or pat out with your fingers to 3/4 - 1 inch thickness. Using a 2-1/2 or 3 inch biscuit cutter, press out as many rounds as you can, gently reshaping the trimmings to cut out a couple more if you can. Place the scones on the lined baking sheet, brush the tops with milk and lightly sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake at 350 for 20 - 25 minutes until risen and golden brown.
To check if the scones are ready, light squeeze the sides of one; the dough should be springy. Place on wire rack and eat while warm, split and buttered, with or without clotted cream or jam. Yield: 12 to 15 scones

http://ivysfeast.blogspot.com/2009/12/in-eyes-of-irish-man.html

Irish Scones
Makes 6 to 8 scones

1/4 cup currants
2 tablespoons Irish whisky or brandy
10 ounces all purpose flour (about 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon)

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon milk
3 tablespoons coarse (demerara) sugar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Combine the currants and booze in a small bowl and allow the fruit to plump for 30 minutes. Discard (or drink) the booze, pat the currants dry with a paper towel, and set them aside.

Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse on and off to the refrain of "Jingle Bells" (jjjingle-bells-jjjingle-bells-jjjingle-all-the-waaaayyyyy), so that the butter is in small bits no larger than a brown lentil.

Transfer the flour-butter mixture to a large bowl and fold in the nuts and plumped currants. Whisk the egg into the buttermilk and add all but a few tablespoons of the wet mixture to the flour-butter mixture. Stir until the dough with a rubber spatula until it just comes together, adding more of the buttermilk mixture if the dough is too dry to come together. Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is just smooth, a few turns should be enough.

Pat the dough into a 1-inch thick disc and brush it with the milk. Sprinkle the sugar over the top and cut the disc into 6 or 8-equal sized wedges with a chef's knife. Transfer the scones to a baking sheet and bake until the edges are golden brown, 15-20 minutes


Chocolate Whiskey Cake
Don't be tempted to use up that old yellow box of chalky supermarket baking chocolate on this cake. You're already making the investment in butter and whiskey; go all the way and buy a good-quality, name-brand chocolate. I used Ghirardelli, but local favorites Tcho and Guittard would work well, too. Same goes for the cocoa powder; skip the Hershey's and try the much more flavorful cocoas made by Ghirardelli, Scharffenberger, Valrhona, or Droste. And while Irish whiskey is the most appropriate for St. Patty's Day, all-American bourbon or rye is quite tasty, too.

Serves: 10 to 12

Ingredients:
1 cup Irish whiskey, plus more for sprinkling
1 cup golden raisins
5 ounces good-quality unsweetened chocolate
1 cup really strong coffee
2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks, 8 oz) unsalted butter, softened, more for greasing pan
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting pan

Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

Preparation:
1. In a medium bowl, pour whiskey over raisins and set aside.

2. Grease and flour a 10-cup-capacity Bundt pan. Preheat oven to 325°F.

3. In a double boiler over simmering water, melt chocolate. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. In a measuring cup, dissolve cocoa powder and salt in hot coffee, then add to whiskey-raisin mixture. Let cool.

5. In a large bowl, cream 1 cup butter until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until well combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract, baking soda, and melted chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.

6. Beat in a third of the whiskey mixture. When liquid is absorbed, fold in 1 cup flour. Repeat with a third of whiskey mixture, followed by remaining cup of flour. Add the last of the whiskey mixture, folding gently just until well mixed. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes.

7. Transfer cake to a rack. Unmold after 15 minutes. If you really want a potent whiskey flavor, sprinkle warm cake with about 2 tablespoons’ more whiskey. Let cool, then sift over confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Ahoy Foodies!

Today is a big day for Irish Americans, including me. Which is kind of funny since we're celebrating a man of Roman descent who came to Ireland as a slave. Our holiday celebrating one Magonus Saccauts Patricius, son of an official working for the Romans in Britain in the 5th century, has become about all things Irish--none of which are green beer, corned beef, or silly shamrock festooned hats. Funny that.

Ol' St. Pat was brought to Ireland as a slave (before he was a saint, of course) by a group of marauding pirate types in 416 AD . Contrary to popular belief, he didn't exactly bring Christianity to Ireland, but he did make it much more popular. As for driving the snakes out of Ireland? Well, that's probably myth. But, he did herd sheep, so he would probably appreciate this lamb stew recipe, which I'm reprinting from a previous post, cuz heh, the recipe is still great, and very timely, too.

So tonight, there's no need to go out to the overcrowded pubs with all the other "Irish for a day" types and drink watery green beer. Stay home, crack open a Murphy's or Guinness, and dig into this little bite of Irish soul food instead.


Manning's Irish Pub Guinness Irish Stew
Serves 6

3 pounds boneless lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled
2 cups Guinness stout
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons minced herbs (thyme, rosemary, marjoram)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cups beef stock
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar

Heat half of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Working in batches, season a big handful of meat with salt and pepper and dredge it in the flour. Shake off the excess flour and brown meat in sauté pan until burnished on 2 sides. Transfer browned meat to a large Dutch oven or pressure cooker* with tongs and continue browning remaining meat, adding oil if necessary, and adjusting heat if flour begins to burn.

Chop 1 carrot finely, cut the others into 2-inch long sticks. Add more oil to pan, if necessary, and add the onions and chopped carrot. Saute until the onion begins to brown. Add 1/2 cup of the Guinness and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Put mixture in pot with lamb. Add the remaining Guinness, bay leaf, herbs, tomato paste, and enough stock to the pot to cover the meat. Bring to a simmer over medium low and cover. Cook until the meat is nearly tender, 40 minutes.

Add the potatoes, remaining carrots, and parsnips and continue to simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender, 30 minutes more. *If using a pressure cooker, make the stew up to the point where you add the stock, bring up to highest pressure (2nd ring on most models) and maintain pressure for 40 minutes. Release pressure, remove lid and skim any fat off top. Add the potatoes, remaining carrots and parsnips and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

Season the stew with salt and pepper and brown sugar, if needed.

Ahoy Foodies!

St.Patrick's Day is creeping up fast (March 17th), and if you're even a little Irish you're likely beginning to hatch plans to make homemade corned beef and cabbage, or Irish stew for the big day. But what on earth are you going to serve your vegetarian and vegan friends? You can give them a slab of soda bread and an extra pint'o'stout, but that's not really fair, now is it?

May I suggest twice baked potatoes? It doesn't sound terribly Irish (well, except for the potatoes part), but add sauteed kale to the potatoes, mash them, and you've got colcannon, a rustic Irish dish that's been served for as long as any Irishwoman can remember. Add some caramelized onions deglazed with Murhpy's Irish Stout to the colcannon mixture, stuff it back into the potato jackets, cover it with Irish cheddar, bake it again, and you've got a very Irish vegetarian main course that will likely capture the interest of the stew and beef eaters, too.

Thanks to a collaboration with the folks at Cooking Up A Story, I am presenting my recipe for this dish in VIDEO FORM! I'm still finding my feet on camera, so be kind. Stay tuned, there will be more cooking videos with seasonal vegetables to come, thanks to Rebecca and the talented team at Cooking Up A Story!

Happy St. Pat's (early)!


Twice-Baked Irish Potatoes with Stout Onions and Kale
(from The Farm to Table Cookbook, by Ivy Manning)

4 servings

“What’s your favorite potato story?” Gene Theil, the spunky potato farmer nicknamed “ Gene the Potato Machine," asked me one crisp November morning as I chose from his table of russets. I drew a blank. “Everyone has a potato story,” he assured me. It finally dawned on me: colcannon. My grandmother used to make the satisfying mash of kale or cabbage and potatoes for me when I was a kid. She said its origins came from necessity when times were tough in Ireland. Women would add kale, cabbage, or even seaweed to their mashed potatoes to stretch the meager harvest;-- the greener the colcannon, the tougher the times. Gene was happy to hear that he was right again, we all have a potato story.

My love of simple but comforting colcannon inspired this satisfying variation of double- stuffed potatoes; it's a sort of Irish soul food, if you will.


4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed (8 to 10 ounces each)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions (about 1 large)

1 cup Irish-style stout

1 bunch lacinato kale or Russian kale(about 3 ounces)

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Rub the potatoes with 1 teaspoon of the oil and place directly on the oven rack. Bake until they squish easily when gently squeezed, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently until they begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add a splash of the stout and scrape up any browned bits. Continue to cook, occasionally deglazing the pan with the stout until the onions are deep brown and nearly all of the stout is used, about 30 minutes total.

3. Tear the tough ribs and stems away from the kale and discard or use for stock. Roughly chop the leaves and add half the kale to the onions, tossing with tongs to wilt the leaves. Add the remaining kale, toss, cover, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

4. With a serrated knife slice off the top quarter of each potato. Use a soup spoon to scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell on the bottom and sides. Mash the flesh with the buttermilk, butter, and mustard powder. Gently fold in the onion-kale mixture and season with the salt and pepper. Mound the mixture into the potato shells, sprinkle the tops with the cheese, and place on a baking sheet. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes, and serve warm as a side dish or a vegetarian main course.


Ahoy Foodies!

Mr. Tofu and I just spent a peaceful four days at the Oregon coast. We're back, rejuvenated (except for shin splints) and wind blown, and the home fires are burning again. As I type, a pot of Cream of Vegetable Keeper is on the stove and a batch of Irish soda bread is in the oven. It's good to be back in my own kitchen after four days in a rental unit equipped with cookware that predates the Eisenhower administration.

Upon returning from our little getaway, I read all of your entries for the Farm to Table Cookbook giveaway. Thank you all for sharing your stories and thoughtful reflections on your vegetable crushes! It takes a brave person to admit to one's edible romances, so I appreciate your candidness! I got a lot of great ideas for veggies from all of you! Though I admired all of your posts, I am handing the prize this time to Rainy Daisy. Don't dismay, I'll do more giveaways from time to time. A humble thank you to every foodie who entered!

I know St. Valentine's was just yesterday, but if you're anything like me, you've already plowed through your box of V-day truffles. Just like any good mind altering substance- a taste only has you wanting more, so I thought you might like this recipe for Raspberry Truffle Cake, from The Farm to Table Cookbook. Please note that this incredibly smooth, rich, sexy mousse cake is a lesson in reading instructions. Don't think you've heard this recipe before, it's special.

First, you must whip the batter for 10 minutes to make it fluffy, then bake it in a water bath for just 15-20 minutes. You'll think it's crazy, because it will still be lava like in the middle, but keep the faith. Refrigerate it for at least 8 hours and the cake magically sets up. The results? Melt in your mouth chocolate ecstasy.

Oh, before you run off to the kitchen, please take a minute to follow this link >>
to The Oregon Food Bank. There's a lot of hunger all around the world, but there are also many families in our own back yard that desperately need help feeding their families. The numbers in the last year on food insecurity have been grim, so please donate, it's easy and it feels good. When donating, please type in "Blog For Food" in the "in the honor of" column, it will help track food bloggers' progress. Thanks!

Raspberry Truffle Cake
6 to 8 servings

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
5 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1/2 pint raspberries, divided
Hot water, for baking
Whipped cream, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Tightly wrap the outside of the pan with 2 layers of foil.
Place a large metal bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, add the chocolate and butter, and stir until the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, whip the eggs, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract in an electric mixer on high speed until pale yellow and tripled in volume, about 10 minutes. Fold half the mixture into the chocolate mixture until no egg streaks remain. Gently fold in the remaining egg mixture (do not overmix or the batter will deflate). Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan.
Set aside 1/2 cup of the raspberries for garnish and sprinkle the remaining raspberries evenly over the batter. Push them into the batter until they are almost submerged.
Place the pan in a large baking dish and transfer to the oven. Carefully pour enough hot water into the baking dish to come halfway up the cake pan. Bake until the top is no longer glossy and the cake pulls away from the side if the pan is tilted slightly, 15 to 20 minutes. (Do not overbake. The cake will still be very soft but will become firmer when refrigerated.) Remove the cake pan from the water and allow it to sit at room temperature until cool. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving. If you omit this step, the cake will fall apart.
To unmold, dip bottom of the pan in a bowl of very hot water for 15 seconds and run a thin knife around the edge of the cake to loosen. Release the springform and shake gently to release the cake. Serve with the whipped cream and remaining 1/2 cup of raspberries.


Ahoy Foodies!

I made a wicked good batch of Beef Bourguignonne recently, adapted from a recipe in Lisa Schroeder and Danielle Centoni's beautiful new book, Mother's Best (Taunton, 2009). My guests loved it, I liked it (in fact I had it for breakfast just moments ago), and my buddies on Facebook have been clamouring for the recipe. As did my brother in Wisconsin. Seems everyone in the country is in this deep chill and needs a beefy stew like thing to warm them. In fact, I recommend their book to anyone who likes homey comfort food from around the world.

My testing of the recipe wound up being a bit too thin in the sauce department, which likely has to do with the high-sided stock pot I had to use because I am not lucky enough to own a massive 10-quart Dutch oven the recipe calls for. (Take note loyal readers who want to get me a Christmas gift.)

To remedy the sauce, I simmered it uncovered on the stove for the last 30 minutes to thicken the sauce a bit. Otherwise, it was lovely. Be warned, though: this recipe is true classic French cooking: It takes LOTS of time puttering in the kitchen. If you need dinner on the table in like, 30 minutes, this ain't the recipe for you. If, however, you're snowed in, as my brother was, or feel like getting into the kitchen and channeling your inner Julia Child, the rewards for your time are great. It doesn't hurt to have a glass of red wine to keep you company.

I served the beef stew (because that is really what it is) with celery root mashed potatoes; I've included my recipe for them from my book, The Farm to Table Cookbook: The Art of Eating Locally, which incidentally, would be a nice Christmas gift for all your friends and family who ought to eat more vegetables. I also poured a bottle of the most excellent Resonance Pinot Noir , which you must go seek out immediately. It's like drinking silk. More than this, you know there's nothing, to quote Brian Ferry.

And what about Mr. Tofu, you ask? I made him some seared scallops, because he will eat those if forced to, and they went nicely with the mashers.


Boeuf Bourguignonne
Adapted from Mother's Best, by Lisa Schroeder with Danielle Centoni

5 pound beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 1/2 teaspooons kosher salt (divided)
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces pepper bacon (I like Niman ranch), cut crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
2 cups finely chopped onions
2 1/2 cups finely chopped carrots
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup brandy
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 nice bottle of dry red wine, such as a French Burgundy from Drouhin
4 cups hot water mixed with 1 package More Than Gourmet Demi Glace, or low sodium canned beef stock
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs thyme, 3 parsley stems tied together)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick sliced on the bias
1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Season beef cubes with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven (8-10 qt.) until crisp, remove from pan and place of a paper-towel lined plate. Leave bacon fat in pan.
2. Increase heat to high and brown the beef in batches (about 5 batches). Remove all beef from pot, reduce heat to medium-high and add olive oil, if needed. Cook the leeks, onions, and finely chopped carrots and saute until tender, 10 minutes. Add garlic and saute 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the brandy and cook for 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the flour, cook 3 minutes. Stir in the wine in small additions, scraping up browned bits. Add the meat and enough stock to just cover the meat, about 3 to 3 3/4 cups. Bring to a boil, cover and transfer to oven.
4. Bake until a large piece of meat can be cut in half easily with a fork, about 2 hours. Remove from oven an simmer uncovered, if necessary, to thicken the sauce.
5. While the stew is simmering on the stove, make the glazed veggies. (The original recipe called for 10 ounces of pearl onions, but I hate them, so I replaced them with sliced carrots.) Place a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of butter and the carrots. Season with salt and pepper and saute until they are lightly browned. Add 1/4 cup stock, cover, and cook until tender and glazed, 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
6. Add remaining butter to the same saute pan, add mushrooms and a bit of salt and pepper, and cook until browned, 10 minutes. Pour into bowl with carrots. Microwave the bacon briefly to reheat it.
7. Season the stew with salt and pepper, if needed. Ladle over mashed potatoes, top with sauteed vegetables, bacon and parsley. Serves 10-12


Celery Root Mashed Potatoes
From The Farm to Table Cookbook, by Ivy Manning (Sasquatch Books, 2008)
6 to 8 servings

6 large Yukon gold potatoes (about 3 pounds), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 to 1 1/2 pounds celery root
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk, plus additional
1 bay leaf
4 black peppercorns
3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 pinches cayenne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Put the potatoes in a large pot with enough cold water to cover. Slice off the top stalks (if present) and bottom roots from the celery root and peel the skin and hairy roots away with a sharp vegetable peeler and/or paring knife. Cut the celery root into 1/2-inch slabs, then into 2-inch sticks; add to the pot. Add the garlic, salt, and enough cold water to cover the vegetables by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until a paring knife slices easily through the largest piece of potato, about 40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 cups of the milk, bay leaf, and peppercorns in a small saucepan over low heat.
3. Drain the potatoes and celery root. Force them through a potato ricer or food mill to make a silky-smooth purée. Stir in the butter, nutmeg, and cayenne. Remove the peppercorns and bay leaf from milk with a slotted spoon. Add enough milk to potatoes to make a loose purée. Season with the salt and pepper and serve warm.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v7.01


Title: Potato Cakes (Bakestone Recipes)
Categories: Breads, Breakfast, Vegetables
Servings: 8


1 lb Cooked floury potatoes
1 t Salt
2 oz Butter, softened
4 T Self-raising flour
1 Butter for filling


Potato cakes are eaten with bacon and sausages. It's easier to make them
with hot, freshly cooked potatoes. If using cold potatoes, melt the
butter before adding it. Choose a floury type of potato, and boil in
well-salted water. -- Drain the cooked potatoes well, then return to low
heat in the same pan: put a dishcloth over the pan and allow the potatoes
to dry for 5-10 minutes. (This is called "drying in their steam" in
Ireland.) They should be dry and floury at the end of the process. Sieve
or rice into a mixing bowl with the salt. Beat in the butter. Work in
sufficient flour to make a soft dough which is easy to handle. Turn onto
a floured board and roll or pat out to 3/4 inch thick. Cut into rounds
with a 3-inch scone cutter. Place on the hot greased bakestone and cook
over a moderate heat until golden brown underneath. Turn and cook the
other side. Remove from the bakestone, split, butter generously, and
close again. Keep warm while cooking the next batch. Serve hot. (Re
"self-raising flour": in Ireland and the UK, this is flour which comes
with baking powder/baking soda already included. For this recipe, about
1/4-1/2 t of baking powder mixed with a plain all-purpose flour will
substitute nicely.)


MMMMM



This is a much-loved variant on the basic Irish scone recipe. It would be true to say that a lot of Irish people, especially back in the old days, had a sweet tooth, and this kind of "small baking" would have had a lot of appeal. Thrifty cooks would have liked it, too: it doesn't feature any fancy imported fruit, but that old Irish favorite, the apple... and the recipe works as well with fresh in-season apples as with ones that might have just come out of storage and been a little past their best.
In this recipe (adapted from one in Maura Laverty's classic Irish cookbook Full and Plenty) the scones aren't rolled out and cut separately. The dough mixture is baked in a pan and the scones are cut apart after they're done -- and after they've been well sprinkled with granulated sugar for a little extra sweet crunch.
Click on "read more" for the recipe and instructions.
Ingredients:
For the scones:
2 3/4 cups / 350g / 12 ounces flour
1 1/4 rounded teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
50g / 3 tablespoons butter or other shortening
150ml / 2/3 cup milk
60g / 2 ounces sugar (brown sugar if you like)
1 beaten egg
1 cup minced or grated apple
For the topping:
1 teaspoon melted butter, and sufficient granulated sugar to garnish
Butter a 9x9-inch square baking pan (or similar) and set aside. Preheat the oven to 220°C / 450F. (You may need to set this temperature a little lower if you have a fan oven, to prevent burning. Keep an eye on the baking during the last ten minutes or so.)
Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in the shortening (or buzz it together with the dry ingredients in a food processor). Add the sugar or brown sugar and mix again
Add the beaten egg to the milk and mix well: add to the flour, along with the minced apple, and blend all together just until well combined. The result will be a very wet and sloppy dough.
Spread this dough in the prepared pan and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes. When done, allow to cool briefly in the pan, then remove to a cutting board. Brush the top of the baked scone mixture with melted butter and sprinkle thickly with granulated sugar. Cut into sections, and serve hot, split and buttered.
Makes about 9 scones.
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CHOCOLATE GUINNESS CUPCAKES

TIME / SERVINGS
Total: 50 mins
Active: 25 mins
Makes: 24 cupcakes
By Dave Lieberman
I love cooking with beer, and that's no exception when it comes to desserts. Of all beers, Guinness is the perfect one for desserts because of its distinct chocolate and coffee notes. Pairing it with actual chocolate is the obvious choice. These cupcakes are light in texture, but heavy in the chocolate department. The white cream cheese icing reminds me of the creamy white head that Guinness is famous for.


INGREDIENTS
1 (12-ounce) bottle Guinness stout
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, plus more for garnish
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
For the frosting::
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 pound confectioners' sugar**
Cocoa powder, for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the Guinness, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the sour cream.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, and baking soda. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet Guinness mixture.
Butter 24 muffin tins and divide the batter among the muffin tins.
Bake 25 minutes, until risen and set in the middle but still soft and tender. Cool before turning out of the tins.
Make the frosting:
Beat the cream cheese in a bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the heavy cream. Slowly mix in the confectioners' sugar.
Top each cupcake with a heap of frosting and dust with cocoa.

http://www.recipegirl.com/2008/08/11/chocolate-guinness-stout-cake/
CHOCOLATE GUINNESS STOUT CAKE
www.RecipeGirl.com
CAKE:
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup Guinness draught stout
1 cup flour
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup low fat buttermilk
CHOCOLATE GUINNESS SAUCE:
¼ cup Guinness draught stout
4 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE:
10 ounces (1¼ cups) heavy whipping cream
10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (or bar broken into small pieces)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. and place rack in middle of oven. Grease and lightly flour 9-inch cake pan (or use 8-inch pan if you’d like a slightly taller cake.)
2. In a small saucepan, combine cocoa powder and stout. Heat over low-moderate heat until smooth. Set aside to cool.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on low- medium speed, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until pale yellow in color. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.
4. Stir buttermilk into cooled cocoa and stout mixture.
5. With the mixer on low, slowly add 1/3 of the buttermilk mixture into creamed butter until incorporated. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the remaining two parts of the buttermilk and ending with the flour. Batter will look grainy or appear to be breaking up.
6. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake 25-35 minutes or until cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove to wire rack with parchment or waxed paper beneath it. Allow cake to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then slide knife around the edge of pan and invert to release cake, bottom side up, onto wire rack. When cool, use a fork to poke holes generously into bottom side of cake.
7. To prepare sauce: Mix sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until smooth. Allow to cool. Spoon ¾ of the sauce over bottom of cake, allowing sauce to seep into cake. Invert cake right side up onto serving platter. Poke holes in top of cake and spoon remainder of sauce on top of cake.
8. Prepare glaze: Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Turn off heat and stir in chocolate until sauce is smooth and creamy. Pour onto finished cake, smooth ganache atop and along sides of cake. Ganache will pool at bottom of cake and can be removed with a knife.
9. If desired, spoon extra ganache into ziploc baggie, snip corner and squeeze atop cake in zigzag lines or decorative pattern. If ganache is too runny, allow to thicken in bag until stiff. Or, reserve extra ganache in refrigerator to spoon over ice cream or form into truffles.
Yield: One 9-inch or 8-inch cake
Recipe Source: Kells Restaurant and Pub, Portland OR

IRISH CREAM BUNDT CAKE
www.RecipeGirl.com
CAKE:
1 cup chopped pecans
1 package yellow cake mix
3.4oz. package instant vanilla pudding mix
4 large eggs
¼ cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup Irish Cream liqueur
GLAZE:
½ cup butter
¼ cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup Irish Cream liqueur
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour 10-inch bundt pan. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over bottom of pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake and pudding mixes. Add eggs, water, oil and liqueur. Beat for 5 minutes at high speed. Pour batter over nuts in pan.
3. Bake 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan.
4. Prepare glaze while cake is cooling in pan. Combine butter, water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in Irish Cream.
5. Invert cake onto serving dish. Prick top and sides of cake. Spoon glaze over top and brush onto sides of cake. Allow to absorb glaze; repeat until all glaze is used.
Servings: 12

IRISH SODA BREAD WITH RAISINS AND CARAWAY
www.RecipeGirl.com
5 cups flour (regular- not self-rising)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
2½ cups yellow raisins
3 Tbs caraway seeds
2½ cups low fat buttermilk
1 large egg
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 12-inch-diameter cast-iron (oven-proof) skillet with 2-inch-high sides.
2. Place first 5 ingredients (dry) into a large bowl; whisk to blend. Add butter, using pastry cutter (or fingers) to rub in until coarse crumbs form. Add raisins and caraway seeds and stir.
3. Whisk together buttermilk and egg in a medium bowl. Add to dry mixture using rubber spatula, and stir just until blended. The dough will be wet and sticky.
4. Pour dough into prepared skillet; smooth top and mound slightly in the center. Dip a knife in flour and make a 1-inch deep criss-cross in the center.
5. Bake approximately 75 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool bread in skillet for 15 minutes. Turn out on rack and cool completely.
Yield: 1 large loaf
Recipe Source: Modified from Bon Appetit
Cooking Tips
*This bread may be prepared one day ahead. Wrap tightly in foil or an extra large ziploc; store at room temperature.


COLCANNON
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3¾ lbs Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 large), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 oz chopped pancetta
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 Tbs butter
¼ cup water
2 heads cabbage, sliced thinly (about 9 cups)
1½ cups milk, scalded
¾ stick unsalted butter, cut into bits and softened
1. Place cut potatoes in large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil; simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until tender.
2. While potatoes are on, saute pancetta and onions in a large saute pan with butter. Add cabbage and water and saute until cabbage is tender and a bit caramelized.
3. Drain potatoes. Place in large bowl and mash with a potato masher. Stir in the milk, butter and cabbage. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Servings: 6


IRISH BREAD PUDDING WITH CARAMEL- WHISKEY SAUCE
www.RecipeGirl.com
¼ cup light butter, melted
10 ounce French bread baguette, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
½ cup raisins
¼ cup Irish whiskey
1¾ cups 1% low fat milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs vanilla extract
12 ounce can evaporated skim milk
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
TOPPING:
2 Tbs granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
SAUCE:
1½ cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup water
¼ cup light butter
2 ounces low fat cream cheese, cut into cubes (about ¼ cup)
¼ cup Irish whiskey
¼ cup 1% low fat milk
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Brush melted butter on one side of French bread slices, and place bread, buttered sides up, on a baking sheet. Bake bread at 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. (leave oven on) Cut bread into cubes and set aside.
3. Combine raisins and whiskey in a small bowl; cover and let stand 10 minutes or until soft; do not drain.
4. Whisk together 1% milk, sugar, vanilla, evap. milk, and eggs in a large bowl. Add bread and raisin mixture, pressing gently to moisten; let stand 15 minutes. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly on top. Bake 35 minutes, or until set.
5. Prepare topping: Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Simmer on low and cook an additional 15 minutes or until golden – the mixture should be bubbling (do not stir). Remove from heat. Carefully add butter and cream cheese, stirring constantly with a whisk (the mixture will be hot and bubble vigorously). Cool slightly, and stir in whiskey and milk.
Cooking Tips
*If you prefer not to use whiskey, substitute apple juice for whiskey in the pudding. In the sauce, substitute 1 Tablespoon imitation rum extract and 3 Tablespoons water for the whiskey.



IRISH SODA BREAD MUFFINS
www.RecipeGirl.com
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1 cup buttermilk (lowfat is fine)
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup currants
1/2 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease small muffin tins or large muffin tins.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With pastry cutter or two knives used scissors fashion, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (You can also do this part in a food processor and let the blades mix the flour & butter together). In a small bowl, stir together buttermilk and egg until blended. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in currants and caraway seeds (if using).
3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes (longer for the larger muffins), or until cake tester inserted in center of one muffin comes out clean.
4. Remove muffin tin or tins to wire rack. Cool 5 minutes before removing muffins from cups; finish cooling on rack. Serve warm or cool completely and store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature.
Yield: 12 regular- sized muffins or 5 large
Cooking Tips
*These muffins freeze well.
*Reader tip: Try using 1 cup of white flour and 1 cup of wheat flour- yum!
*Reader tip: Try subbing raspberries and blueberries for the currants (with no caraway seeds). We loved it this way.
Recipe Source: Adapted from Mostly Muffins


CREAM SCONES
www.RecipeGirl.com
1 large egg
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbs granulated sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
¼ tsp salt
5 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
¾ cup moist, plump currants
1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
2. Stir the egg and cream together.
3. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly.
4. Pour the egg, cream and currants over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until the dough, which will be wet and sticky, come together. Don’t overdo it. Still in the bowl, gently knead the dough by hand, or turn it with a rubber spatula 8 to 10 times.
5. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Divide it in half. Working with one piece at a time, pat the dough into a rough circle that’s about 5 inches in diameter, cut it into 6 wedges and place it on the baking sheet. (At this point, the scones can be frozen on the baking sheet, then wrapped airtight. Don’t defrost before baking- just add about 2 minutes to the baking time.)
6. Bake the scones for 20 to 22 minutes, or until their tops are golden and firmish. Transfer them to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving, or wait for them to cool to room temperature.
Yield: 12 small scones
Recipe Source: Adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours
Cooking Tips:
*If the currants you’ve purchased are rather dried out and hard, put them in a bowl with hot tap water for a few minutes and then drain thoroughly before adding to the scone dough.

THE BEST RED WINE SANGRIA
www.RecipeGirl.com
2 large juice oranges, washed; one orange sliced; remaining orange juiced
1 large lemon, washed and sliced
¼ cup granulated sugar (I like to use superfine sugar)
¼ cup Triple Sec
One 750 ml. bottle inexpensive, fruity, medium-bodied red wine, chilled
1. Add sliced orange and lemon and sugar to large pitcher; mash gently with wooden spoon until fruit releases some juice, but is not totally crushed, and sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Stir in orange juice, Triple Sec, and wine; refrigerate for at least 2, and up to 8, hours.
2. Before serving, add 6 to 8 ice cubes and stir briskly to distribute settled fruit and pulp; serve immediately.
Servings: 4
Cooking Tips
*Cook’s Illustrated tested this recipe with more expensive red wines too and they found that the cheaper wine tasted just fine. It really is ok to buy an inexpensive bottle for this recipe. I used a Spanish wine… anything like a Rioja or the like is ok.
**The longer sangria sits before drinking, the more smooth and mellow it will taste. A full day is best, but if that isn’t possible, give it an absolute minimum of two hours to sit.
***You can easily double or triple the recipe- just switch to a punch bowl instead of a pitcher.


CRANBERRY MIMOSAS
www.RecipeGirl.com
4 cups cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
4 cups orange juice
Two 750ml. bottles chilled Champagne or sparkling wine
12 slices fresh orange, for garnish (optional)
Fill twelve 12-ounce glasses with ice; pour 1/3 cup cranberry juice into each glass. Top each serving with 1/3 cup orange juice and about ½ cup Champagne. Garnish with orange slices, if desired.
Servings: 12
Recipe Source: Cooking Light

OVERNIGHT EGGNOG COFFEE CAKE W/ NOG GLAZE
www.RecipeGirl.com
TOPPING:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 Tbs butter, softened
½ tsp ground nutmeg
CAKE:
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup eggnog
8 ounces sour cream
1 tsp rum extract
2 large eggs
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground mace
GLAZE:
½ cup powdered sugar
2 Tbs eggnog
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1. Grease 12-cup round molded cake pan with shortening.
2. In a small ball, mix all topping ingredients with a fork until crumbly; sprinkle evenly into prepared pan.
3. In a large bowl, beat 1 cup granulated sugar and ½ cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed. Beat in 1 cup eggnog, the sour cream, rum extract and eggs until blended.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and remaining dry cake ingredients. Stir dry mixture into wet mixture. Spoon evenly into pan (on top of the topping). Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Uncover pan; bake 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and then flip out onto a rack to cool completely.
6. In a small bowl, mix all glaze ingredients until smooth. Add more eggnog if not thin enough to drizzle. Spoon over coffee cake. Cut and serve.
Servings: 15
Cooking Tips
*Freshly grated nutmeg is best!
**I used full fat eggnog and full fat sour cream for this recipe, and the end result was a super moist and rich cake. You can certainly try to sub the lower fat versions but the baked product might turn out slightly different.
***Use real rum if you’d like (in place of the extract).
Recipe Source: Adapted from Betty Crocker

AMISH PUMPKIN CINNAMON ROLLS W/ CARAMEL ICING
www.RecipeGirl.com
ROLLS:
1/3 cup milk
2 Tbs butter
½ cup canned pumpkin or mashed cooked pumpkin
2 Tbs granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
1 large egg, beaten
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
FILLING:
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbs melted butter
FROSTING:
¼ cup (4 Tbsp.) butter
½ cup brown sugar, packed
2 Tbs milk
¼ tsp vanilla extract
dash of salt
½ to ¾ cup sifted powdered sugar
1. Prepare rolls: In a small saucepan, heat milk and 2 Tbsp. butter just until warm (120 – 130°) and butter is almost melted, stirring constantly.
2. In large mixer bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar and salt. Add milk mixture and beat with an electric mixer until well mixed. Beat in egg and yeast. In a separate mixing bowl, combine flours. Add half of flour mixture to pumpkin mixture. Beat mixture on low speed for 5 minutes, scraping sides of bowl frequently. Add remaining flour and mix thoroughly (dough will be very soft). Turn into lightly greased bowl, then grease surface of dough lightly. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Turn onto floured surface. Knead a few turns to form a smooth dough, sprinkling with enough additional flour to make dough easy to handle. On lightly floured surface, roll dough into 12×10-inch rectangle.
4. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Brush surface of dough with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Beginning with long side of dough, roll up jelly-roll style. Pinch seam to seal. With a sharp serrated knife, gently cut roll into twelve 1-inch slices. Place rolls cut-side-up in greased 9-inch-square baking pan.
5. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls about 20 minutes, or until golden. Remove from pan to waxed paper-lined wire rack. Cool 10 to 15 minutes.
7. While rolls are cooling, prepare icing: In small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Cool over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Transfer to a small mixing vowl and cool mixture slightly. Stir in vanilla, salt and powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended. If necessary, add more powdered sugar for desired consistency.
8. Drizzle icing over warm rolls.
Yield: 12 rolls
Cooking Tips
*If you’d like to begin preparing these the night before… Follow directions through step four, cover and refrigerate overnight. Take out in the morning and continue with step 5.
**If you’re lacking a warm place for rising, use your oven. Turn on the oven light. Then set your oven to 400 degrees for one minute. Turn it OFF and then place your pan inside the warmed oven. Make sure you have turned off your oven!