An Irish Country Barmbrack (Irish Fruit Cake)

If you've read any of the "Irish Country" novels by Patrick Taylor, you know how charming they are, a rare window into a specific time and place unlike any other. You also know the two main characters are no strangers to excellent food, prepared in large part by their housekeeper, Maureen "Kinky" Kincaid. Her good self, as well as her cooking, merited a collection of her recipes, An Irish Country Cookbook. After all, if Hercule Poirot can have an obituary, why shouldn't Kinky have a cookbook?

This traditional barmbrack, or "spotted bread," is typically made at Halloween, but since we all love being Irish for a day every March, I was keen to make it this spring. Heavy on the currants and raisins, with a bit of orange zest for freshness, this fruited cake is a little holiday all on its own!

Irish Barmbrack

Ingredients:
2 cups dried fruits (I used currants and raisins)
1 cup brewed black tea
1/4 cup whiskey (see notes below)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon spice mix, optional (such as chai spice mix or pumpkin pie spice)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
zest of one orange

In a large mixing bowl, combine dried fruits with tea and whiskey, cover tightly and let sit overnight.

When ready to make the next day, butter a 7- or 8-inch round baking dish (at least two inches deep), and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and spice mix (if using) in a medium bowl. Add sugar, egg, and orange zest to the fruit mixture, stir to combine completely, then add the flour mixture and blend gently until fully incorporated. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top with back of the spoon, and bake for 75-80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out mostly clean (a few tender crumbs are ok). Let the cake cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to one week at room temperature.

Kinky says to let the barmbrack sit a day before enjoying it, as this will allow the flavors to develop. It helps to bake the cake in a dish with its own lid, to make storing easy. The traditional way to eat barmbrack is toasted and slathered with (Irish) butter; it's also very good with softened cream cheese!

Other Irish-inspired treats to enjoy on St. Patrick's Day:
Orange-Currant Shortbread Buttons
Devil's Food Cupcakes with Baileys Buttercream Frosting
Chocolate-Lager Cake with Tangerine Dream Frosting

Notes: Adapted from An Irish Country Cookbook by Patrick Taylor. If you don't want to use whiskey, just increase the amount of tea to 1 1/4 cups, and add in a splash of pure vanilla extract. The basic template of this recipe lends itself to many variations, so be sure to use your favorite flavor tea, dried fruits, and spices. If you use larger fruits like dried apricots, dates, or figs, simply dice or snip them into small pieces before soaking.

>o<

All's Fair: Cranberry-Almond Teacakes

For the first time last Fall, I entered the baking competition at my local harvest fair. There were lots of entries, of all shapes and sizes, including an outrageously decadent-looking pan of cinnamon rolls! And while I didn't win anything, these Cranberry-Almond Teacakes still say "blue ribbon" to me :-)

Cranberry-Almond Teacakes

Dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup dried cranberries

Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature

Topping:
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners; set aside.

Stir flour, baking powder, salt, and ground ginger together in a small bowl. Add the dried cranberries and toss in the flour mixture, breaking up any clumps as you go. In a large bowl (or the pan you used the melt the butter, if it's big enough), cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, then mix in extracts and eggs. Blend in half of the dry ingredients, stir in the milk, then add the remainder of the dry ingredients and combine until just smooth. Divide evenly among the liners (about 2/3 full each). Sprinkle tops with about 1 teaspoon each almonds and sugar, then bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes: Why "teacakes?" Well, they're not sweet enough to be cupcakes, yet they're still too delicate to be muffins! These are perfect, as you may have guessed, with a cup of tea for elevenses, or even as a mid-afternoon snack. The crumb is tender and rich, and the little bit of ginger adds a pleasant warmth. The headiness of the almond extract is divine!

>o<

It's Gran-Tastic!: Maple-Pecan Granola with Cranberries

The New Year is a time when people make resolutions and set goals for themselves, many of which are health-related. And no wonder, after a few months of decadence and indulgence! As you might guess, my definition of healthy includes making as much as possible at home, the better to know what goes into my food and where it was made and grown. Now, you know me, and I don't shrink from fat and calories, but I want to be sure my ingredients are the best quality I can find and afford, minimally processed and locally sourced if at all possible. This makes things healthier for me, my community, and the environment—the ultimate win-win-win!

All the same, sometimes you want your food to "feel" healthy, and granola is often what jumps to mind as you look for something to start your day. Thankfully, it's also wonderfully easy to make, with very few ingredients and some time in a slow oven. The best part? It simply tastes great, too :-)

Maple-Pecan Granola with Cranberries

Ingredients:
5 cups rolled oats (regular, "old-fashioned" oats)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup neutral-tasting oil (such as grapeseed or extra light olive oil)
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine oats, pecans, cinnamon and salt, stirring until everything is fully combined. Measure out syrup and oil into the same measuring cup and pour all at once over the oat mixture. Stir again until all the oats and pecans are completely coated. Pour onto prepared sheet and spread the granola into an even layer. Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour, stirring gently every 10-15 minutes, until the granola is dried and toasty. Remove and let cool completely; mix in the cranberries and store in an airtight container. Serve as a cereal with milk, sprinkle over yogurt, eat out of hand as a snack, or (so much for healthy) enjoy with a bowl of ice cream ;-)

Notes: This recipe is adapted from Bob's Red Mill. My version is not super-sweet, but just enough so to satisfy. You can definitely use whatever nuts, spices, and dried fruits you would like to suit your taste—anything goes!

>o<

Butter Me Up: Butter-Pecan Drop Scones

I'd been wanting to make a scrumptious baked treat for some time, and had my eye on this scone recipe I posted a while back. When I finally had the time to make it, I poked around my cupboards and fridge, only to find that I didn't quite have all the right ingredients on hand. However, I did have what I needed to try another variation that had been lurking in the back of my mind—not as sweet, but still full of rich, comforting flavors. And LOTS of butter. As a bonus, these scones are simply spooned out into mounds before baking. No kneading, flouring, or fussing required!

Butter-Pecan Drop Scones

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and set aside.

In a measuring cup or small bowl, measure out milk and mix in egg and vanilla extract until combined. In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and pecans, breaking up any clumps of sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Pour milk mixture in all at once, and stir together gently until just combined and there are no dry pockets of flour left. Spoon twelve mounds onto prepared sheet, spacing them evenly, and bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until browned on the top and somewhat firm to the touch (you want them to be cooked all the way through). Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes: I chose not to use any glaze or topping for these so I could enjoy the flavors of butter and pecans, but you could certainly make the glaze I used in the original recipe, or sprinkle the tops with a little granulated sugar before baking. You could also add a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg into the dry ingredients for a hint of spice :-)

>o<

Tried and True: Lemon-Rosemary Zucchini Bread

For some reason, traditional zucchini bread recipes tend to be strongly spiced with things like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. These are certainly great flavors, but they completely obscure the delicateness of the squash. I suspect the people who developed these recipes never really liked zucchini at all! So I thought about how I like zucchini best—with things like butter, lemon, and fresh herbs - which also happen to be traditional flavors in many parts of the world. The result was a hit, where all the components served to enhance one another perfectly:

Lemon-Rosemary Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:
One large or two medium zucchini, shredded and excess moisture squeezed out (use a clean towel or strong paper towels—you should have roughly 1 to 1 1/2 cups of zucchini)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole-milk sour cream (or plain yogurt)

Prep zucchini per above and set aside. Butter an 8 x 8 inch square pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, lemon zest and rosemary. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy; stir in eggs until combined, then add the zucchini and mix together. Gently stir in half the flour mixture, followed by the sour cream, then the remaining flour mixture until just combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers (the flavor is even better the next day).

Notes: Like all quick breads, this is really just cake in sheep's clothing, and as such it is delicious with your coffee in the morning or a spot of tea in the afternoon. For an easy substitute, use one cup fresh blueberries in place of the zucchini. For more sweetness, stir 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar together with just enough fresh lemon juice to drizzle over cooled bread.

>o<

Trying Times: Featherweight Breakfast Cake

As I prepared to work with a group of children to make a family recipe, I felt calm and confident—after all, I had made this particular recipe most of my life. It was easy, delicious, and sure to be a hit! But as the actual day drew near, I knew I needed to refresh my skills, especially because it had been six months since the last time I'd made it. I set aside some time, going through the recipe with extra care and attention, and produced what is still an all-time family favorite:

Featherweight Breakfast Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup whole milk
1 large egg, room temperature

Topping:
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit; butter an 8-inch square baking pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder until fully incorporated. In a 2-cup measuring cup, measure milk and stir in melted butter and egg; add wet ingredients all at once to dry ingredients, and mix until just combined and all the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape into prepared pan, smoothing the top out to the edges. In a small bowl, stir together topping ingredients, and sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Can be served warm.

Notes: This recipe uses a fair amount of baking powder, which gives the cake an extra-fluffy interior. As always, don't feel constrained by the title—this is just as good in the afternoon as it is for breakfast!

>o<

Recipe Roundup: Let's Do Brunch

As the days grow longer, it's natural to be out and about more, enjoying the sun and fresh air. Of course, you'll still want to sleep in on the weekends! Eventually, you'll also need to eat, and that means indulging in the best meal ever invented: brunch. Here's a selection of both sweet and savory items, perfect for Saturdays and Sundays - or any day you want something comforting :-)

Ham and Cheese Strata: My go-to, one-dish meal that's as easy as it is forgiving. A great way to reinvent those odds and ends hanging out in the fridge as well.

Salmon and White Bean Salad: Simple and satisfying, with lots of protein to keep you going for the day - even if you're just lazing on the couch ;-)

Heirloom Tomato Cobbler: A savory twist on a classic. If tomatoes aren't in season, use your favorite cooked/grilled vegetables in their place.

Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Scones: The name says it all - and what could be better?

Maple-Pecan Breakfast Muffins: Easy, sweet, and full of flavor. Like a pancake you can hold in your hand!

>o<

Tapped Out: Maple-Pecan Breakfast Muffins

The end of Winter and the beginning of Spring mark the season for maple sugaring. Maple sap runs best when the temperatures are above freezing during the day, but still fall below freezing at night. During this time, sugar maple trees are tapped and the watery liquid collected in buckets, after which it is boiled down into the viscous, distinctively smokey natural sweetener we all love. Since maple syrup is so firmly linked to breakfast, I see no reason to try and alter that perception—although you can certainly enjoy these muffins any time of day!

Maple-Pecan Breakfast Muffins

Dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans, divided

Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners; set aside.

Stir flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 cup of the pecans together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, then mix in maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla. Blend in half of the dry ingredients, stir in the milk, then add the remainder of the dry ingredients and combine until just smooth. Divide evenly among the liners (about 2/3 full each). Sprinkle tops with remaining 1/4 cup pecans and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes: These muffins mix together quickly, and the simple flavors of the maple and pecans really shine through. If you prefer, substitute another kind of nut for the pecans, or leave them out altogether. I'd love to know how they would taste if you substituted cooked, crumbled bacon for the nuts—let me know if you try it!

>o<

And Everything Nice: Glazed Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Scones

It's the weekend—time to sleep in, relax, and enjoy your favorite comfort foods. Personally, I love a good cinnamon roll for a sweet treat, but making them requires a certain level of commitment that doesn't quite go hand-in-hand with being lazy :-) Thankfully, these brown sugar and cinnamon scones are easy, fast, and have all the flavors of those yummy rolls, just in afternoon-tea form. That certainly doesn't mean you have to wait that long—start devouring them as soon as you please!

Glazed Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Scones

For the scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 large egg (see notes below)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
4 teaspoons whole milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and set aside.

In a measuring cup or small bowl, measure out heavy cream and mix in egg and vanilla extract until combined. In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, being sure to break up any clumps of sugar. Pour heavy cream mixture into dry ingredients all at once, stir together until the dough is just combined, then knead directly in the bowl a few times by hand to pick up any loose bits (flour your hand first to prevent sticking if the dough is too tacky). Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface, dust the top with flour, and gently pat out into a rectangle, about 6 x 10 inches and 1/2 inch thick. Using a dinner knife dipped in flour, cut the rectangle into 8 squares, then cut each square diagonally for a total of 16 triangles (the dough will be sticky and soft, just keep coating the knife in flour as you go). Use the knife to carefully lift and transfer the scones onto your baking sheet, and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned on the top and completely golden on the bottom. The scones will rise and spread a bit during baking—if any stick together, they can be pulled back apart after baking. Remove and let cool completely before glazing.

In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients and stir together with a small butter knife. Glaze scones using about one heaping teaspoon of glaze for each, spreading it out towards the edges.

Notes: You can omit the egg by increasing the heavy cream to 1 1/4 cups. If sixteen is too many, freeze extra scones unglazed and thaw as needed. The glaze makes just enough to top all sixteen scones, but you can certainly double (or halve) the recipe depending on how much you require :-)

>o<

Pantry Raid: Ham and Cheese Strata

Waste not, want not, as the saying goes—and (for the most part) it's very true. I try to save as much as possible, from decent-sized scraps from my latest craft project, to odds and ends in the kitchen. They may not seem like much in themselves, but eventually they can be used to help me make something greater than the sum of its parts.

Soups and stews are surefire ways to utilize leftover food, but a casserole often does the trick quite nicely. Since I always have milk and eggs in the fridge, my go-to dish is usually a strata. You may call it a breakfast casserole or an egg bake—for that matter, you might even call it Lady Jane Grey, because I guarantee it won't last long once you make it! By their very nature, my stratas differ from one to the next. When asked how I make them, I usually try to change the subject, because I don't really know the answer—they just kind of make themselves. However, I was sure to pay attention this time and take note of exactly what and how much I used.

The beauty of this "recipe" is the ease with which you can mix and match the ingredients. I used 8 eggs, but anything from 6 to 9 will work perfectly well. Whole milk was on hand, but half and half or heavy cream are excellent substitutes if you have some that needs using. Cheese is optional, but highly encouraged—up to two cups of your choice for this size pan. I had some bread in the freezer for the base, but leftover roasted potatoes or home fries are delicious. Have some leftover grilled or sauteed veggies? Chop them up and throw them in as well. In place of the ham I used here, crumbled bacon or chopped, cooked breakfast sausage are perfect—or leave the meat out altogether. Dried tarragon I had from my garden, but thyme or rosemary would also be lovely. The best part is that stratas are very easy to make, and don't take much time to cook. Savings all 'round!

Ham and Cheese Strata

Ingredients:
1/2 loaf sourdough bread (about 1/2 lb.), torn or cubed into 1-inch pieces
6 oz. black forest ham, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
8 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried tarragon, crumbled (or dried thyme/rosemary)
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan (I used some bacon fat I had saved) and spread the bread evenly over the bottom. Scatter the ham over it and then sprinkle on the cheese. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard and tarragon. Add a few pinches of salt and several grinds of pepper (if using something very salty like bacon, you may want to omit adding any salt at this stage). Pour egg mixture over everything in the pan and let sit for 5-15 minutes so the bread can absorb some of the liquid, then bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are golden and bubbly and the eggy custard is set. Let cool for 10-15 minutes or to room temperature before serving—with some homemade tomato jam, of course :-)

>o<

Get Your Goat: Goat's Milk

If you've even glanced at my recipes, you've already guessed I have no fear of butter. Things like whole milk and heavy cream are at the top of my list, too. These, of course, all come from cow's milk—and I appreciate every drop! But sometimes I'm in the mood for a change, for something decidedly NOT cow. The easiest way to achieve this is simple: go for goat!

Breakfast of champions.

Goat's milk yogurt has been a favorite of mine for almost as long as I can remember. Like a good chevre, yogurt made from goat's milk has a light tanginess that's incredibly pleasing to the palate. Strained in cheesecloth for 24 hours, the yogurt thickens to the consistency of whipped cream, and is heavenly with a scattering of chopped pistachios and a drizzle of honey.

Whey out.

Now, unless you have a goat in your backyard (or know someone who does), goat products will likely be more expensive than their bovine counterparts. So consider it a treat, find the best you can afford, and choose something local to ensure it's as fresh as possible. Never tried it? Give it a shot—the variety of cheeses alone makes it worthwhile, and you can also find other things like goat's milk butter, ice cream, skin care products, and salted caramel sauce! Even better, it's easy to make something goaty at home—VERY satisfying, indeed!

Know what else? Goats are awfully cute, too :-)

Gettin' nosy.

>o<

And A Bacon New Year!!! How to Make a Bacon Sandwich

Pork is traditional fare on New Year's Day, having to do with the symbolic way in which our porcine friends nose their way forward through life. And, let's be honest, there's no better way to enjoy pork than by eating bacon :-) Since you may also have need of some extra carbs and fat after the excesses of last night, this is just the sandwich for you:

Bacon Sandwich

For each sandwich:
3-4 slices pork bacon (preferably nitrate/nitrite free), cooked until crisp and lightly drained
2 slices good white bread
Softened butter

Generously butter both pieces of bread, then sandwich bacon between bread, close and cut in half. Enjoy!

Notes: The salty bacon is wonderful with the sweet, creamy butter, and the bread helps you hold it all together and soak up those flavors. Even so, this is a rich sandwich, so have it the traditional way with a big mug of steaming hot tea! And be sure to save that bacon fat—use it to sauté greens, grease a pan for baking cornbread, or sweating your veggies when making soups and stews :-)

Liquid gold.

>o<

Loaves and Switches: Chai-Orange Tea Loaf

The October issue of Food Network Magazine included an insert of 50 (FIFTY!) quick bread recipes, and it set my mind to racing. They offered savory variations in addition to sweet, much like my take on fruit cobbler. The flavor combinations were intoxicating, and I could hardly wait to start trying them.

Quick breads are standard repertoire for home bakers, and for good reason - quick, certainly, but also delicious and incredibly satisfying. And as I couldn't leave well enough alone, I tinkered and played with the recipes presented by FNM, adding a few extra touches along the way:

Have your tea loaf (and eat it, too).

Chai-Orange Tea Loaf

Tea infusion:
1/2 cup whole milk
One bag strong black tea

Dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch of ground cloves

Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar (vanilla sugar, if you have it)
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
Zest of one orange

Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 Tablespoon whole milk
Splash of vanilla extract

Measure out milk and add teabag; let steep until needed.

Butter and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk dry ingredients together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, then mix in honey, eggs, vanilla and orange zest. Beat in half of the dry ingredients, stir in the milk/tea infusion, then add the remainder of the dry ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes, then turn out and cool completely on a wire rack. Stir glaze ingredients together until smooth and drizzle over the loaf.

Alternate glaze: Combine juice from the zested orange and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until sugar has dissolved. Spoon over top of loaf as soon as it comes out of the oven. Continue to cool as above.

>o<