Going Green

I’ve had Irish soda bread on the brain lately, so I decided to use St. Patrick’s Day as an excuse to bake it. After some cursory investigating I realized the version I’m familiar with is an Irish American version, made with raisins and caraway seeds. Well, that’s what I like about it, so I decided to stick with it.

I made three mini loaves for the neighbors, one for my husband, who is house-sitting in a nearby town, and two big muffins to keep for myself.

The recipe I decided on came from King Arthur, but called for a full cup of sugar. Way too much for me, so I cut it in half. The end result...the texture was more like cake -- very tender, not crumbly like a scone, which I thought I would be getting. Don’t get me wrong, they still taste wonderful. I’ll try a different recipe next time, or figure out what it was about this one that made it so tender. I’ll also double the amount of caraway seeds from one tablespoon to two. A friend suggested serving it with a slice of sharp cheddar on the side, so that might be on the menu for this afternoon’s espresso break. I suppose a nice Irish tea would be more appropriate, but I prefer strong, strong coffee.