Quick Banana Oatmeal Cookies
1 small overripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 Tablespoons chocolate chips (or butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, chopped nuts, raisins, etc.)
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, mix together the banana, oats, and cinnamon. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, until firm.
This has got to be one of the quickest and easiest cookie recipes out there - only four ingredients! These cookies are a healthier option as well - no added fat or sugars. Of course, they are much healthier if you use nuts or raisins and not chocolate, but a little chocolate does a lot of good! This makes a really small batch, only eight cookies - perfect for one to two people, but you can easily scale up the recipe.
This is a really soft, moist, and flavorful bread. It is not very sturdy, so not ideal for sandwiches, but is is great to enjoy as is - and barely requires and butter or jam.
Soft Molasses Wheat Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup each: ground flaxseed, natural wheat bran, oat bran, wheat germ
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup applesauce
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. Make a well in the center.
In a small bowl, mix together the milk, molasses, and applesauce. Pour into well, stir just to combine. Bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
On The Fly Fried Rice
1 teaspoon oil
2 Tablespoons chopped onion
1 small carrot, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons green beans
1 large egg
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup cooked rice
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 heaping Tablespoon hummus
optional: some shredded cheese
Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes until crisp-tender. Push vegetables to the outside of the pan. Beat the egg with the salt and pepper and pour into the middle of the pan. Scramble the egg until cooked, then mix with the vegetables. Stir in the rice, seasoning, and hummus and cook, stirring, until heated through. Sprinkle in the cheese, if desired.
This is a dish I came up with quickly one night when I was in need of a quick supper using leftovers. I took the idea of fried rice and enhanced it with the ingredients I had on hand. I had a bowlful of leftover rice and some leftover green beans. I quickly chopped up some onion and carrot, used some hummus and spices I had on hand to flavor the dish, and added an egg, which is traditional in fried rice, for some protein. Obviously ingredient amounts are approximate, and ingredients and amounts can be varied to create any quick supper dish. I served my rice with some leftover toasted fish cakes on top for a complete meal.
Oatmeal Quick Bread
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup mixed whole grains (bran, wheat germ, oat bran, flax, etc.)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-2 Tablespoons sugar, honey, or molasses
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 large eggs, beaten
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flour, grains, baking powder, and sugar, if using. In a separate bowl, mix the milk and soda, wait until it foams up (be sure to use a larger bowl). Beat in the eggs and honey or molasses, if using. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake for about 50 minutes.
This is a really quick bread! No kneading or rising times, it goes together in 10 minutes and finished baking within the hour. It has a nice taste and texture, and makes a nice high loaf.
Quick Golden Cake Layer
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine, softened
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease and flour an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan.
Put all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix to moisten, then beat 2 minutes until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.Bake for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
This easy layer cake recipe is super simple, super quick, and makes a nice white cake layer to build on, that is firm for ease in decorating. It also comes in handy when you only want one layer and not two.
Paré, Jean. "Fruit Flan." Recipe. Cakes, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1990. 104.
This is a super easy, basic, but delicious biscuit recipe. The directions seem lengthy, but only because I added hints and comments to it. If you are an experienced baker, you won't even need the instructions. The key to awesome biscuits here is to handle them as little as humanly possible to produce the most tender and flaky product. That's right, no kneading!
No-Touch Biscuits
5 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1/3 cup granulated (white) sugar
5 heaping teaspoons baking powder (HEAPING, don't worry, it won't be too much)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine (soft tub margarine works fine and is lower in calories & fat)
1 cup milk
1 cup water
Preheat oven to 425◦F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the first four dry ingredients Cut in the margarine until blended in, using a pastry blender, fork, two knives, or your hands. Add the milk and water and gently stir in until dough is just moistened, but still dry in spots.
Dump the mixture onto a clean counter or board. Mix together with your hands, adding a little more water if necessary. Dough should be sticky. Pat into a rough rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Do not use a rolling pin. Dough will look scrappy, and not smooth, but it's meant to. Do not knead this dough.
Cut the dough with a biscuit cutter, glass, or just into squares using a knife. Place on prepared baking sheet. They may touch, but place them far apart (bake in two batches) if you want crispy sides. If you cut them into squares, placing the biscuits close together will result in almost a "pan biscuit". The biscuits will form together and need to be pulled apart gently. These are delicious!
Bake for 15-20 minutes until risen and golden. Enjoy warm with any spread you like, or reheated later.
Large square biscuits are good for sandwich building.
Irish Bran Bread
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour*
*(I used 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup ground flaxseed)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup natural bran
1/4 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups buttermilk or sour milk
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 cup raisins, optional
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. Add milk and oil, stir to moisten. Scrape into prepared pan. Bake for about one hour.
This is a really easy and quick bread recipe.I made it recently because I was running out of my stash of whole wheat bread, but I did not have enough time to make a traditional loaf of bread that requires kneading and rising. While many quick loaf breads can be softer, crumbly, and not good sandwich material, this one is quite sturdy and easy to cut. It is also very tasty, a bit sweeter and richer than traditional bread, so it is better for lighter sandwiches. It is from Company's Coming "Muffins & More".
Paré, Jean. "Irish Brown Bread." Recipe. Muffins & More, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1983. 114-115.
This is a quick soup my mother whipped up today for lunch tomorrow using ingredients she had on hand. It is certainly nothing special or difficult to make, but it sure is tasty. She simply took the vegetables she had on hand and made them into soup with some pasta - no meat, because there was no leftover meat on hand. The vegetables featured in this soup are: onion, carrots, peas, and potatoes There are some fettuccine noodles boiled in chicken broth - and there you have some tasty soup! Quick, easy, nutritious, and something good to warm you up on a chilly Fall day. My grandmother is a big fan of soup, she could eat it everyday. My mother enjoys soup on occasion, but not everyday. I also really like most soups, but I would not want it everyday. I guess you know who the real soup fans are when they eat hot soup on a hot summer day, which my grandmother is known to do, and I have also done on occasion. Soups are an easy, quick, tasty, and hearty meal to have anytime really!
Coffee Squares
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup strong warm coffee
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a 9x13 inch rectangular baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg. Add remaining ingredients except the chocolate chips. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.
This is a quick and easy recipe I found online. I was looking for a squares recipe that was a bit different, but one made with common ingredients that anyone would love. Of course, the addition of a bit of chocolate makes these squares extra good. The smell of these baking is irresistible! They come out, soft, moist, and tasty They are a not-too-sweet square that you can just gobble up. They certainly turned out much better than the last squares I made...
This is the completed product from the base I made yesterday. When I read this recipe first, I thought it sounded really good and easy, and actually I had been wanting to make it for awhile now. However, while I was making these squares, I was beginning to doubt this recipe even though it came from a very reliable source. Things were not working out the greatest. This story does have a happy ending, as the squares turned out very yummy! My only complaint is the recipe is too small, there are not enough squares. Here is how the squares were finished:
Cut the base in half vertically, spread with vanilla filling, and place other half on top. The recipe just stated to cut the bars in half, so I assumed they meant horizontally otherwise you would end up with a very small batch of bars. However, the base was so thin there was no way it could be cut in half horizontally.
Vanilla Filling
1 Tablespoon margarine, melted
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together until smooth, adding more sugar of milk if necessary to achieve a thick but spreadable consistency.
Spread the top of the bars with chocolate glaze. Place in the refrigerator and chill briefly (an hour or more) before cutting. Store in the fridge.
Chocolate Glaze
2 Tablespoons granulated (white) sugar
1 Tablespoon water
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water to a boil. Remove from heat and quickly stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Use immediately.
Next time, I would double the base recipe and bake it in a 9x13 inch rectangular pan. That way, when I cut the base in half, I would still have a pan of squares the size of an 8x8 inch square pan. I would double the vanilla filling recipe as well, but not the chocolate glaze, because I had plenty leftover. The chocolate glaze is a different concept than most, very quick to make and does not crack when you cut the squares as plain melted chocolate would, as long as you do not chill the squares too long before cutting. These seem like a lot of work for a small batch, because it takes three steps, but each step is fairly quick. And the bars are worth the effort. Overall, a very scrumptious square!
Tonight I made a quick chocolate bar base for bars I will finish making tomorrow. This is just a simple, easy brownie-type base for some chocolate squares that will be filled and iced. The base for these bars takes about fifteen minutes to make, twenty max. They are so easy, and if you want, you can use this base for brownies, ice cream sundaes, strawberry shortcakes or just eat it plain! It is so easy and simple to remember. Once this base cools, it will be cut in half horizontally, filled with a vanilla filling, and topped with a chocolate icing. Here is the recipe for the base:
Chocolate Bar Base
1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon hard margarine or butter, melted
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
pinch salt
Preheat oven to 400◦F. Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan with foil and lightly grease foil.
In a medium mixing bowl, mix the butter and cocoa until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake for ten minutes.
This is what I made for supper today. It is quick and simple, but quite tasty. The recipe came from a little booklet I had. You can easily vary this recipe in many ways to suit your tastes. Here are the basic options, choose what you would like from each of the following items listed. You will also need 1 Tablespoon cooking oil and 2 1/4 cups water.
2 cups mixed fresh or frozen vegetables (any kind)
2 cups uncooked pasta (rotini recommended, or anything similar in size)
1 can (10 ounces or 284mL) cream soup (I used cream of celery)
four portions of protein (meat, fish, beans), if desired
spices and seasonings, as desired
Now all you do is heat the oil in a large pot or skillet. Cook the protein as needed, and precook the vegetables as well if you think they need it (especially when using fresh). Once they are fairly soft, and the meat is cooked, add the water and soup and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until tender, stirring often. This takes about 15-20 minutes. All of the water should be absorbed, and the dish should be somewhat creamy from the soup. It's that simple!
Here was my combination: meatless with fresh green beans, mushrooms, and carrots, with rotini and cream of celery soup. This is a quick dinner you can have on the table in half an hour with just a little prep work.
Peanut Butter Bars
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine, cut up
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1/4 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
A handful of finely chopped peanuts for the top, optional
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line an 8x8 or 9x9 inch square baking pan.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir the first five ingredients until melted and smooth. Press into prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes until set and edges are golden. Cool.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter. Spread evenly over base. Sprinkle with peanuts, if desired.
These are some quick and easy bars I whipped up. Anyone who likes the classic combination of chocolate and peanut butter will love these. They are so quick and easy and keep well. Do not refrigerate them before cutting, or they will be too hard. Actually, don't bother refrigerating them at all, they are better at room temperature. This recipe may easily be doubled to fit a 9x13 inch pan. I didn't have any peanuts for the top, so I was trying to think of something else that might look nice, just to add a little more jazz to the bars. I thought of both toffee bits and shredded coconut, but I did not want to open either package just for a handful, and these flavors didn't really go with the chocolate and peanut butter. I settled on a simple dusting of icing sugar.
Chocolate Syrup Brownies
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chocolate syrup or thick chocolate sauce (or hot fudge)
1/2 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line an 8x8 inch square pan with foil, lightly grease the foil. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, then the chocolate syrup, then the flour. Mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
I thought the classic brownie recipe I usually used was as simple and quick as possible, but these brownies are even faster and easier! Of course, that is only after the chocolate sauce is already made, or if you happen to have chocolate syrup on hand. There are only five ingredients to this recipe, and one bowl. Anytime you want brownies, these are very quick to whip up, and they can even be frosted as soon as they come out of the oven. Any chocolate frosting will do, or just sprinkle the hot pan with chocolate chips as soon as they are done baking, let stand for a few minutes, then spread smooth. I made these brownies a few days ago to use up the leftover chocolate sauce and chocolate frosting, both of which will keep for at least a week refrigerated, from the chocolate cake (not like there was enough chocolate around). They aren't as fudgey and rich as my usual brownie recipe, but they are still pretty good.
I found this quick, easy recipe for cinnamon rolls in Company's Coming "Muffins And More". I made some with raisins, and some without. The ones without look more neatly formed, but they are both good.These cinnamon rolls are made from a very simple dough that is soft and fluffy and very easy to work with. It is spread with an easy filling, rolled up, cut, and then placed into muffin tins to bake. This gives the cinnamon rolls a nice shape and even baking. Even though I thought I had used plenty of grease in the pan, I still found my cinnamon rolls stuck a bit. The recipe states to place a teaspoon of filling into the bottom of each muffin cup, but after trying this, I would not recommend it. I found that most of this filling just stuck to the bottom of the pan, and did not end up on the cinnamon rolls at all, which both gypped the cinnamon rolls and wasted filling. I would recommend either spreading all of the filling onto the rolled out dough, or using a teaspoon of filling on TOP of each cinnamon roll. Dumping the cinnamon rolls did not work either, they stuck too much, and too much of the filling began to come off. Also, if they are dumped, they end up upside down, because the top does look better than the bottom facing into the cup. I used a spoon to carefully scoop the rolls out. If you do this while the rolls are too warm, the dough will tear apart, so at least cool them slightly if not completely. If you grease the pan very well, not only will the rolls stick less, they will also have a richer, more buttery topping. After you get past the problems of the rolls sticking, they are quite tasty, with or without raisins. There are not quite as good as the cinnamon roll recipe I usually use, but they are quicker, and more of a muffin-like cinnamon roll that is good for breakfast rather than me sweet dessert cinnamon rolls.
Jiffy Cinnamon Rolls
1/3 cup butter or hard margarine, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
2 Tablespoons granulated (white) sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold butter or hard margarine, cut-up
1 cup cold milk
1/3 currants or raisins (optional)
Preheat oven to 400◦F. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin.
In a small bowl, combine the first amount of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Place one measured teaspoon of filling into the bottom of each muffin cup. Set remaining mixture aside.
In a separate large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Make a well in the center and stir in the milk. Knead the dough, adding a little additional flour as necessary, for 6 to 8 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to a twelve inch long rectangle, approximately one centimetre thick.
Spread dough with remaining cinnamon mixture, leaving a small border all around. Sprinkle with currants or raisins, if desired. Roll up dough from a long end, jelly roll style. Pinch seams to seal. Cut into twelve slices. Place each slice, cut side down, into a muffin cup. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Turn out onto a tray. Ice with a simple vanilla glaze or a cream cheese icing, if desired.
Paré, Jean. "Jiffy Cinnamon Rolls." Recipe. Muffins & More, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1983. 87.
Who doesn't love the classic, simple, and delicious Rice Krispie squares (or crisp rice cereal squares, if you don't want to use brand names)? Whether they came directly from a box, or were homemade from cereal in a box, they are quite tasty squares. Slightly surprising, considering they take about five minutes to make, and contain only three to four ingredients (crisp rice cereal, marshmallows, butter or hard margarine, and sometimes vanilla extract). They are so simple to make, I even have the recipe memorized; six cups of cereal to one bag of marshmallows, and two tablespoons butter plus a splash of vanilla). Although the classic version is such a favorite, I have also made chocolate, fudge, chocolate caramel, and chocolate butterscotch versions of these squares. I have also used this cereal in countless other recipes, mostly cookies and other squares. There are now also different flavors of crisp rice cereal you can buy to make different kinds of squares, including vanilla, cocoa, and whole grain. Crisp rice cereal and marshmallows seem to go very well together, just maybe not for breakfast. I prefer to make homemade crisp rice cereal squares, because I like everything homemade, they taste better, have less preservatives, and you can control exactly what goes in them. Plus these squares are so quick and simple to make, there really is no excuse to buy them instead of make them. I will include the recipe in case you don't know it, but it is featured on many crisp rice cereal boxes, as well as in cookbooks and online.
Crisp Rice Cereal Squares
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine
1 bag (250 grams) miniature marshmallows (or about 40 large)
6 cups crisp rice cereal
a splash of vanilla extract (optional)
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and marshmallows together. Stir in the cereal, and vanilla if desired, until well coated. Spread into a lightly buttered 9x13 inch rectangular pan. Set aside to cool and set before cutting.
We always seem to buy more bananas than we can eat, even though we are big banana eaters. Bananas tend to ripen even faster in the summer heat, so we always have some speckly ones to use up before they go to waste. We have some go-to recipes for banana cakes and muffins, which are delicious, but I am always looking for new ones to try something different. Here is a really quick, easy, and chocolatey one I found.
Double Chocolate Banana Cake
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup banana, mashed (1 large or 2 small)
1/3 cup butter or hard margarine, melted
1 Tablespoon lemon juice*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 9x9 inch or 8x8 inch square baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine the first five dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. Pour remaining ingredients except for chocolate chips into the well. Beat well with a fork for two minutes, or until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (an 8x8 inch cake may take a bit longer to bake). Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving, if desired.
*NOTE* I didn't have lemon juice, so I left it out and added a bit more vanilla extract and a splash more milk. This worked out fine.
“Easy Double Chocolate Banana Snack Cake.” http://www.dairygoodness.ca/recipes/easy-double-chocolate-banana-snack-cake. Dairy Goodness, n.d. Thursday, July 5, 2012.
This is also the result of time constraints. My parents recently celebrated their anniversary. I didn't make any fancy dessert for them for several reasons, mostly because I was quite pressed for time, but also because it was close to Father's Day, and we would be having cake anyway, and because my parents went out to eat to celebrate their anniversary. I cannot tell you how convenient it is to have baked goods and prepared foods on hand in the freezer, ready to go. I still wanted to make a little something for my parent's anniversary, to show that I remembered and really had good intentions of making something (another raincheck is in store). I simply grabbed a couple of cookies I had already made, grabbed some leftover icing I had, and decorated. I wrote Happy Anniversary on one cookie using a plastic bag and a hole that was slightly too large to pipe rope letters on a small cookie, but oh well. I piped and filled in a heart on the other cookie. Sweet and simple. My parents seemed quite pleased that I had prepared a little something for them, even if it wasn't much. It still tasted good, and it is the thought that counts!
Here is a really simple, quick, and healthy breakfast idea. If you don't have time to cook scrambled eggs or hard-boiled eggs, try this technique. It is a simple microwave cooking method. It works for egg whites, egg yolks, and whole eggs, and can cook several eggs at once. Pictured here is just an egg white, which I used because I had a leftover egg white from a recipe I made, and I did not want to waste it, so I ate it for breakfast. This egg is similar to a scrambled egg. Here is how to make it:
1. Crack the egg(s) into a small, microwaveable-safe bowl.
2. Add salt pepper, milk, butter, cheese, chopped onion, parsley, or whatever else you'd like.
3. Cover the bowl with a piece of waxed paper, and microwave on high for 1 minute.
4. Remove from microwave and check the egg. If it is set, it is done. More eggs will take longer to cook. If the egg is not done, continue to microwave at 30 second intervals until it is desired doneness.
5. Carefully run a butter knife along the edge of the bowl to loosen the egg, then remove.
Now serve on toast, and add anything else you would like - ham, cheese, tomato, bacon, lettuce, or whatever! Here I just added a slice of tomato. This egg is good on toast, as a sandwich, in a wrap, with pancakes, as a simple omelet, or just a really quick side of protein with your meal. Keep this method in mind when you need to cook an egg fast!
I made a quick whole wheat Irish Soda Loaf Bread in order to replenish my continuous stash of homemade whole wheat bread I keep on hand in the freezer. Generally, Irish Soda Bread is thought of as a round loaf bread, almost like a scone. It is usually a quick-rise bread (which means no yeast is used and no rising or proofing times are needed), with the signature "X" cut in the middle. Often this bread is hearty, so it contains whole wheat flour, and/or oats, bran, and wheat germ. Often raisins or currants are added for more flavor and texture. The real thing that makes it a signature Irish soda bread is the buttermilk in it. Because the bread uses buttermilk, baking soda must be used instead of baking powder in order to react with the acidity of the buttermilk. That is where Irish Soda Bread gets its name. This bread I made is not a traditional Irish Soda bread, because of its shape and preparation method. This bread did not need to be kneaded or shaped, just mixed up and placed in a loaf pan. It is incredibly quick and easy.
Irish Soda Loaf Bread
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/3 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup cooking oil
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients and make a well in the center. Pour the milk and oil into the well, stir until just moistened. Spread into prepared pan and bake for about an hour. Remove from pan and cool.
I used all whole wheat flour and no all-purpose, but I replaced a small portion of the flour with ground flax seed. I also added some pumpkin seeds to the batter for crunch. I made my own buttermilk by placing a little more than two tablespoons of white vinegar in a liquid measuring cup and adding enough milk to make 2 1/3 cups. I let it sit for 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened. This recipe comes from Company's Coming "Holiday Entertaining".
Paré, Jean. "Irish Soda Brown Bread." Recipe. Holiday Entertaining, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1989. 43.
