Irish Soda Bread

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day - here is my family's recipe.Irish Soda Bread
This isn't my photo, but mine looks pretty similar, only I add icing to mine - that's our favorite part!
4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1 3/4 cup buttermilk

Mix the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Then add the egg and buttermilk. Don't over mix. Form into 2 round loaves. (Dough is sticky, much like making buttermilk biscuits.) Cut an X in the tops.

Bake at 375 for 30-35 min

Drizzle with powder sugar icing

Perfect Popovers

I love popovers and have always made Martha Stewart's recipe. I found this recipe on Melissa d'Arabian's show. I tried them and we ate the first batch in 5 minutes. I have another batch in the oven and will probably make more tonight. She has great tips and puff so big! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons melted butter, divided
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk, warmed for 30 seconds in the microwave (should be lukewarm to warm)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Using a pastry brush, coat 8 muffin cups with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter and put the tin in the oven for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the eggs in a blender until light yellow. Add the warmed milk and blend. Add the flour, salt and remaining melted butter, and blend until smooth. Pour the batter into the warmed muffin tin and return it to the oven to bake until golden, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Fudge Brownies with Macadamia Nuts

I found this recipe in Family Circle - tried it and loved it and will make it over and over. I love dark chocolate, so I used Ghiridelli dark chocolate chips in the recipe - they are not those sugery sweet store bought brownies. But if you like a sweeter taste, I would use milk chocolate chips.

1 bag (12 oz) chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 plus 3 TB chopped macadamia nuts
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 350. Line an 8-inch baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

Melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips and the butter until smooth (microwave or stovetop). Whisk in sugar, then eggs. Stire in flour and salt until smooth. Fold in 2/3 cup of the nuts and the vanilla. Spread in prepared pan.

Bake at 350 for 25 to 29 minutes.

Sprinkle remaining 1 cup chocolate chips over brownies and return to oven for 2 minutes. Remove from oven and spread melted chips until smooth. Sprinkle with 3 TB chopped nuts. Regrigerate 1 hour until firm.

Eggnog Muffins

I know Christmas is long gone, I am finally getting around to baking with eggnog which is a taste I love! I tried these muffins tonight and am blogging about them the same night - so they must be good!

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp nutmeg

1 1/4 cup eggnog

1/3 cup oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp rum flavoring

dried cranberries, walnuts

Combine dry ingredients, combine wet ingredients, add wet to dry and fold in cranberries and nuts. Place in muffin pan. Top with sugar crystals and additional nutmeg. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

Cranberry Relish

2-3 c. cranberries

1 orange (including rind)

1 c. sugar

grind in a food processor

Yummy with turkey and we liked it with ham too.

Cornucopia Salad

2 heads romaine lettuce

1 cup celery, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

1 11oz can mandarin oranges, drained

1 avocado, cut into chunks

1 apple, diced

1/4cup dried currents or raisins

1/2cup dried cranberries

1/4cup sliced almonds, candied (combine almonds with 3T sugar in fry pan and cook

until sugar melts and coats almonds, cool on aluminum foil and break apart)

1/2c crumbled blue cheese (may be served on the side for those who like it)

Dressing (Or use Paul Newman’s Balsamic Dressing or Ken’s brand Creamy Balsamic dressing))

1/2t salt

1/2t pepper

1/3c oil

2T sugar

2T balsamic vinegar

Boterkoek

Dutch Boterkoek

This is Dave's dad's recipe

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

½ lb butter

t vanilla

t almond extract

3 eggs

Mix together butter, sugar and extract.

Add beaten egg (save some to brush on top for golden brown finish)

Add flour to form dough

Put dough in ungreased pan. 9-12” or 2 rounds

Mix the reserved 1 tsp of beaten egg with 1 tsp of water, and brush over dough.

Decorate with sliced almonds, if desired.

Bake at 350°F for 25-40 minutes or until done (firm to the touch).

This is a dense cake, but should be soft on the inside and hard on the outside, but not too hard

THIS RECIPE ALSO SOUNDS GOOD:

4 c. flour

2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 lb. butter

1 can almond filling

Cream together sugar and softened butter, then add egg and stir. Add flour a little at a time; stir well. Use 2 pans (11 x 7 x 1 1/2) and divide the batter into fourths. Use 1/4 of the batter in the bottom of each pan. Spread 1/2 can of almond filling in each pan then add another fourth of the batter over that. (May help to press the dough flat in your hands, then press in pan.)

Beat an egg and brush some on top. May also add some sliced almonds. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until golden brown on top. Cut into pieces while still warm.