Irish Soda Bread

A few years ago my friend, Emily (pastry chef and mother of triplets, extraordinare!) introduced me and my sister to Irish Soda bread and Irish Beef Stew. They are delicious recipes and have become a family tradition for us each year.
If you couldn't tell - I love celebrating any and every holiday. It just makes an ordinary day worth celebrating. Plus, redheads look great in green. Try this bread out for your St. Patrick's Day Party! We had 5 adults and 3 children. I doubled the recipe and almost all of the loaves were gone. (but we do like bread)

Irish Soda Bread

adapted from my friend Emily

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 c all purpose flour

1/4 c + 1 Tbsp sugar, divided

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
3 Tbsp butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1 c buttermilk
2/3 c raisins or craisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, 1/4 c sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Make well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk. Gradually stir dry ingredients into milk to blend. Mix in raisins.

Using floured hands, shape dough into ball. Transfer to prepared pan and flatten slightly (dough will not come to edges of pan). Sprinkle dough with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake bread until brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes. Transfer to rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I made this one with craisins, funny you can hardly see any. I thought it was delicious. But both ways are great!