Irish Soda Bread from Julia

Secrets to remember:

1. Cut a cross in the top to let the fairies out (Irish rule :P)

2. Wholemeal flour - if you can find an Irish brand of coarse wholemeal flour

Ingredients: 

250 grams (2 cups) of wholemeal flour, coarsely ground

125 grams (1 cup) white flour
60 grams (1 cup) of wheat bran
70 grams (1 cup) of pinhead oatmeal
2 tsp of baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp honey
600ml buttermilk

Raisins or cranberries optional

1. Mix dry ingredients

2. In another bowl, add the honey to the buttermilk and mix. 

3. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add most of the buttermilk & honey mixture. 

4. Mix until moistened, adding the rest of the buttermilk slowly as you go. 

5. Add raisins now - if desired. 

6. Fluff the dough onto a floured cutting board and turn it round. It should be about two inches thick. 

7. Place onto a greased baking sheet and cut your cross into the top, it should be about a half-inch-deep. 

8. Bake at 180 degrees C for an hour - turn it over for the last 10 mins. If you tap the bottom and it sounds hollow, it's done :)  

Creamed Corn

Ingredients:

75g butter

1 onion chopped

3 corn cobs

1 tsp sugar

.5 cup (125ml) single cream

50g grated cheddar or mozzarella

.5 cup (125ml) water

Heat 75g butter in pan until foaming and fry 1 finely chopped onion for about 5 mins. 

Cut the kernels off 3 corn cobs (or use already cut corn 2.25 cups) and add to the pan with 125ml water. 

Turn down the heat, cover and cook gently for 10 mins. 

Add 1 tsp sugar and 125ml single cream, season and cook, uncovered, for 5 mins more. 

Sprinkle the top with 50g grated cheddar or mozzarella and cook for a couple more mins until melted.

Pumpkin Brownies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup butter melted
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (maple extract also tasty)
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (ok to use more, used 1 cup and was super moist)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Grease an 8x8 inch baking pan.
3. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, stir together the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Using a spoon, mix in eggs one at a time. Gradually stir in your flour mixture, and divide the batter evenly into two separate bowls.
5. Stir in cocoa powder and chocolate chips to one batter (try also with a thing of applesauce to make moister). In the second bowl of batter, stir in the pumpkin puree, walnuts, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg (can add chocolate chips here too).
6. Spread 1/2 of the chocolate batter into the bottom of a greased 8x8 baking pan. Spread 1/2 of the pumpkin batter on top of that.
7. Add dollops of each of the remaining batters into the baking pan (this will make it easier to swirl). Then, drag a kitchen knife gently through the dollops of chocolate and pumpkin batter to create a swirled top.
8. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Pumpkin Brownie Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 438Calories from Fat 225

% Daily Value*

Fat 25g38%

Saturated Fat 13g81%

Cholesterol 96mg32%

Sodium 289mg13%

Potassium 214mg6%

Carbohydrates 51g17%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 38g42%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 2670IU53%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 48mg5%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.