St. Patties Day

I just wanted to do a quick post about one of my favorite holidays of the year. St. Patrick's Day! Yeah!!!! Green beer and pinching people for fun always sounded like good times to me :) I sometimes wonder why the green beer started...hmmm, maybe time for more research. So I do what I always do when I am curious about something.... I googled it. A wealth of information available right at my fingertips. I think the history of St. Patties Day is very interesting, but I still could not find an answer to why the green beer started. A curious thing indeed.

Anyway, I thought that I would share a recipe today. This bread is crusty on the outside and has a great heaviness to it. This bread is rib-stickin' bread and you don't need to eat a lot... Trust me, I overindulged last year :)

THIS RECIPE IS NOT ALLERGY SAFE- so If you have allergies, try substitution.

IRISH SODA BREAD
Adapted from a recipe by MP Welty on allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 30 to 50 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.