Happy Saint Paddy's Day

Tomorrow, everyone is Irish, so in honor of Saint Patrick's I made
King Arthur's Irish Soda Bread Muffins.


They are in the oven as I start to write this, and they smell pretty good. I am not a big fan of Irish Soda Bread, but my Aunt Edith, who was Irish made it
every year and so I always do it in her memory.

The recipe comes right from King Arthurs Website:


King Arthur's Muffins

Irish Soda Bread Muffins:

1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 3/4 cup King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 cups currants (first choice) or raisins 1/2 to 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, to taste 1 large egg 1 cup buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream 6 tablespoons butter, melted; or 1/3 cup vegetable oil sparkling white sugar, for topping 6 1/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 3 ounces King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 5/8 ounces granulated sugar 6 ounces currants (first choice) or raisins 1/2 to 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, to taste 1 large egg 8 ounces buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream 3 ounces butter, melted; or 2 3/8 ounces vegetable oil sparkling white sugar, for topping Directions 1) Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin pan; or line with papers, and grease the papers. 2) In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, currants or raisins, and caraway seeds. 3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk (or equivalent) and melted butter (or equivalent). 4) Quickly and gently combine the dry and wet ingredients; honestly, this won't take more than a few stirs with a bowl scraper or large spoon. As soon as everything is evenly moistened, quit; further stirring will cause the muffins to be tough. 5) Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, filling the cups about 3/4 full; the stiff batter will look mounded in the cups. Top with sparkling white sugar, if desired. 6) Bake the muffins for 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove them from the oven. Tip the muffins in the pan, so their bottoms don't get soggy. Wait 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a rack to cool. Serve them plain, or with butter and/or jam. Yield 12 muffins

This is what you will need for the recipe:


Irish Soda Bread Muffins:

1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 3/4 cup King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 cups currants (first choice) or raisins 1/2 to 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, to taste 1 large egg 1 cup buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream 6 tablespoons butter, melted; or 1/3 cup vegetable oil sparkling white sugar, for topping 6 1/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 3 ounces King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 5/8 ounces granulated sugar 6 ounces currants (first choice) or raisins 1/2 to 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, to taste 1 large egg 8 ounces buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream 3 ounces butter, melted; or 2 3/8 ounces vegetable oil sparkling white sugar, for topping Directions Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a standard muffin pan with papers Spray with a non stick spray In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the unbleached flour white whole wheat flour baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, currants or raisins (I used raisins,) and caraway seeds Mix together Place 6 tablespoons of butter in a microwavable dish cut up into smaller pieces Microwave about 45 seconds until melted I used sour cream in this recipe, so I added a little sour cream to the butter to cool it down Add in the egg, and beat Add in the remaining sour cream and beat Add the sour cream mix to the dry ingredients Mix quickly, just enough to moisten, don't over beat Use an ice cream scoop to spoon the batter in the muffin tins, filling about 3/4 full the stiff batter will look mounded in the cups Top with sparkling white sugar, if you have it, I had to use granulated because that's what I had Bake the muffins for 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean Remove them from the oven Tip the muffins in the pan, so their bottoms don't get soggy I used the skewer I tested with to lift them up Wait 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a rack to cool Enjoy... I was very pleasantly surprised, they were very good, but they are not a sweet muffin; more like a miniature soda bread! And here I thought my green box of Girl Scout Cookies were going to be my St. Patricks Day Treat! Remember to enjoy the parade, drink responsibly, and have a designated driver... Be smart, be safe!!!!!