Unquiet Desperation

Cooling, fresh from the oven.

I tweeted about the Irish Soda Bread I was making this morning, and folks wanted the recipe. I’m only too happy to oblige.

This is a quick one…total prep time is around 15-20 minutes. Baking time is 45-60 minutes, depending on your oven and your altitude.

1 1/2 cups sugar 1 stick butter, softened 2 eggs 1 pint sour cream 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 3 1/2 cups flour 1 cup plumped raisins*

Start by plumping the raisins. Put them in pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit in covered pan for 5 minutes. Drain. (Note: You can also put them in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water by about 1/2 inch, then cook for 5 minutes. Works just as well for me.)

Mix all ingredients in the order above.  Bake in two ten inch round cake pans for 45-60 minutes at 350 F. Knife should come out clean of center when done.

I like to serve this with honey butter or fruit preserves. Apple butter is especially good with it.