Happy St Patrick’s day, a few days early!  On the actual day, I will be hiding from the festivities in my apartment eating these Irish soda bread inspired scones.  I’m not always the most participatory Irish person.  I teach at a school where a lot of the teachers are Irish and/or Italian American.  The students at this school come from all over the world… The Middle East, South East Asia, Central and South America, North Africa, The Caribbean and Eastern Europe.  One St Patrick’s day, I did not notice the date and I went to school in a red outfit.  One of my favourite teachers came up to me and said (I a classic Brooklyn accent) “Not for nothin’, ERIN, but where’s ya green?  The United Nations have sent their children to school in appropriate attire and you’re wearing red?”  It’s true. Every child at this school was wearing green..in many cases they were wearing cloths that were absolutley traditional to their home country (head scarves, tunics over pants ect) in green.  I am the lamest Irish girl ever.  I hope to redeem myself with this recipe.

I have made a lot of marmalade lately.  I have posted recipes for Bitter Seville Orange Marmalade and Blood Orange Marmalade with Rosewater and Almonds, but my cupboards are over-full of all of the batches that I didn’t even like enough to share with you.  I have also received some delicious spiced wine marmalade from our friend Bethany and a small jar of marmalade from my cousin Tanya made from wee oranges that she grows on a tree in her apartment in Edmonton!

All of this marmalade has got me pining for Irish soda bread which is, in my opinion, the best marmalade delivery system.  My final year of college, I lived in an apartment above a bakery that made Irish soda bread on Fridays.  Every Friday I would eat and entire loaf of fresh Irish Soda bread with about half a jar of Wilkon and Sons Tiptree  Tawny Marmalade.  In my twenties, a wonderfully talented, beautiful and fun drinking, dancing and bike-riding girlfriend of mine gave me a very good recipe for Irish soda bread.  I think it was her mother’s.  I can’t eat it anymore but I will pass the recipe on to you!  I hope that this friend of mine would not mind.  I have lost track of her. This past week, I made gluten-free scones with caraway and raisins.  They are close enough to real Irish soda bread to satisfy my craving, although they contain no soda.  They taste delicious slathered in Marmalade!  Scroll down for the gluten-free recipe.

BRIDGET WOODS’ SODA BREAD (not gluten-free)

• 2 cups all-purpose wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/4 cup butter melted
• 1 and 1/2 cup buttermilk (at room temperature)
• some caraway seeds
• 1 cup raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter and flour an eight or nine-inch pie plate.
2. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Cream together the butter, sugar and egg in a large bowl.
4. Slowly stir the buttermilk into the butter mixture until totally mixed.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in batches, stirring until smooth.
6. When completely mixed, add the raisins and the desired amount of caraway seed.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pie tin.  Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees and 30 minutes more at 325 degrees.  Eat it up the same day that you make it!

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Combine the tapioca flour, sorghum flour, potato starch, baking powder, xanthan gum and sea salt in a large bowl.
3. Cut the butter into the flour until it is the size of small peas.
4. Add the raisins and caraway seed.
5. Stir in the buttermilk.
6. Form the dough into four balls and place onto a baking sheet.
7. Bake for 17 minutes at 450 degrees.  Eat them up the same day that you make them!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE…

Bitter Seville Orange Marmalade https://bigsislittledish.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/the-right-kind-of-marmalade-made-with-bitter-seville-oranges/

Marmalade with Bitters and Sour Cherries https://bigsislittledish.wordpress.com/2013/03/23/bittersweet-boozy-goodness-old-fashioned-orange-marmalade-with-bitters-and-sour-cherries/

Seville Orange Marmalade with Whiskey and Brown Sugar https://bigsislittledish.wordpress.com/2013/01/05/seville-orange-marmalade-with-whiskey-and-brown-sugar/

Blood Orange Marmalade with Rosewater and Almonds https://bigsislittledish.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/labour-of-love-blood-orange-marmalade-with-rosewater-and-almonds/

Grandpa’s Hot Toddy https://bigsislittledish.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/how-to-make-a-hot-toddy/

Buttermilk Drop Biscuits https://bigsislittledish.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/carrot-soup-with-fennel-and-fresh-thyme-with-biscuits-traditional-and-gluten-free/

Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits with Lard https://bigsislittledish.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/lard-have-mercy-gluten-free-pro-glutton-buttermilk-biscuits/