Baking

Irish Soda Bread:A Hearty & Flavorful Bread for Any Occasion

Kent Whitaker who is author of this post Irish Soda Bread, also known as “The Deck Chef,” is an award-winning culinary writer and cookbook author. He’s also penned Young Reader, NASCAR, and History titles. The former winner of the Emeril Live Food Network Barbecue Contest also covers football, motorsports, and bass fishing. Kent currently lives in East Tennessee with his wife, son, and a couple of dogs that love when he fires up the smoker or grill. You can reach out to Kent at www.thedeckchef.com, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If you’ve done any baking from scratch you know that sometimes there’s a fine art to getting yeast to activate and to get the proper rise from your loaf of bread. Or, you can forget about yeast and try your hand at a traditional Irish Soda Bread. This tasty and hearty bread is made from simple ingredients and yeast is not one of them! Baking Soda The main activator for this recipe is baking soda and is very simple to make. I have to thank my niece Tiffany who is a Southern girl and a big-time Auburn Tiger football fan. She now lives with her husband Conor and their family in Ireland. She was my go-to source for a real soda bread recipe which she credits to originally coming from the official Irish Food Board. A Bit of Brown Soda Bread Background Soda bread is a staple in Irish cooking and it’s safe to say that there are plenty of families with their own “secret” recipes. But, food historians trace the original version of the bread back to native Americans who baked a version of soda-style bread with pearl ash as an ingredient. Pearl ash is a natural form of baking soda derived from the ashes of burnt wood. This leavened the bread without yeast. Now, jump forward to the 1800s - specifically around 1830 - when baking soda, or bicarbonate soda, started to be commonly available in Ireland. This kicked off the wave of making Irish Soda bread which is known as being hearty, packed with flavor, and with a signature crusty shell with a pillow-soft interior. ???? Irish Soda Bread As I mentioned above, this recipe was provided to me by our niece Tiffany and her family in Ireland. She credits the government-run Irish Food Board for her starter recipe but mentions it is very versatile and pairs with a wide variety of dishes. But she does have her favorites. [...]

By |2024-01-10T00:40:18+00:00March 6th, 2023|Recipe, Bread|0 Comments

Apple Pie Contest Winner, Harford County Fair PA, 2010

VINEGAR PIE PASTRY 4 CUPS FLOUR 1 TBL. SUGAR 2 TSP. SALT 1/2 CUP WATER 1 EGG 2 TBL. CIDER VINEGAR 1 3/4 CUP SHORTENING IN A LARGE BOWL, COMBINE FLOUR, SUGAR, AND SALT. WITH A PASTRY BLENDER, CUT IN SHORTENING UNTIL THE MIXTURE RESEMBLES COARSE CRUMBS. IN A SMALL BOWL, COMBINE WATER, VINEGAR, AND EGG; BEAT WITH A FORK AND POUR INTO THE FLOUR MIXTURE. MIX WELL UNTIL THE PASTRY HOLDS TOGETHER. THE DOUGH WILL BE STICKY. ADD JUST ENOUGH FLOUR TO CLEAN THE BOTTOM AND SIDES OF THE BOWL TO MAKE ONE BALL OF DOUGH. COVER & CHILL FOR AT LEAST 2 HOURS. DIVIDE INTO 4 OR 5 BALLS. IF NOT READY TO MAKE PIES NOW, YOU MAY WRAP & REFRIGERATE FOR UP TO 2 WEEKS OR FREEZE FOR UP TO 2 MONTHS. MAKES 4 OR 5 SINGLE CRUSTS. MICROWAVE OVEN APPLE PIE

By |2024-02-26T15:58:53+00:00January 14th, 2011|Baking, Pennsylvania, Pie Contest|0 Comments

Puppy Love- New Baking/Craft Mold from Zanda Panda is the Pick of the Litter

Puppy Love, I think this is so cute!, but then again I am a doggie lover, It looks extremely edible! Puppy Love- New Baking/Craft Mold from Zanda Panda is the Pick of the Litter. Here is a video from their website showing them doing a project

By |2024-02-26T16:21:32+00:00October 2nd, 2010|Baking, Dogs|0 Comments

Crescent Moons Filled with Sweet Potato Bliss: Countyfairusa

Sweet Potato Crescent Dumplings 1 can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls 1 can (15 oz.) sweet potatoes in syrup, drained (reserve syrup) ½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine ⅔ cup sugar ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon dash ground nutmeg, optional ½ cup of reserved syrup ¼ cup pineapple juice Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate crescent roll dough into 8 triangles. Spoon a couple of the sweets potato chunks onto large end of the crescent. Roll up from large end to the smaller tip, enclosing the sweets potatoes inside. Place in a lightly buttered 8 or 9 inch square baking pan. Combine butter, sugar, and spices in small saucepan. Heat until butter is melted. Pour hot mixture over top of filled crescents. Combine reserved ½ cup syrup and pineapple juice and pour over top. Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on top.

By |2024-03-04T06:08:41+00:00April 15th, 2009|Baking, Recipe|0 Comments
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