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Soda Bread

(I made two soda breads from the below recipe this is a picture of one of them, but you can make one big soda bread)
This is an enriched soda bread, sweeter tasting than the ordinary soda bread and softer to. My mom made this and a very similar cake bread (I'll put the recipe on soon) every week, she often made two one plain and one with plenty of mixed dried fruits, so there was always a piece to eat if someone popped in for a chat and a cuppa..
Great eaten anytime of the day, you don't need to toast it (unless you want to). Eat plain or add butter, maybe add a little jam, and aways with a cup of tea :)

Tip: don't put in more soda than needed it will make the bread bitter and strange tasting

Soda Bread

• 1 lb / 500gms/ 4 cup plain flour (all purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 very heaped teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda (baking soda)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1oz / 25 grams/ butter
• 1 egg
• 1pt/ 1/2 litre/ 2 cups buttermilk
• Some extra egg beaten or milk
• Some extra butter

Sieve all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub in. In a cup break the egg and use a fork to beat. Make a well in the centre and add the egg & buttermilk, mix all ingredients the dough should be quite soft (wet and stickily), if its too dry add more buttermilk, too wet add more flour.Turn onto a lightly floured surface and very gently knead (don't knead like bread its more a light massage)Shape into a circle and place onto a baking tray, with a knife mark into 4 pieces. Brush the top of the soda bread with a some beaten egg or milk. Cook in a moderate oven until golden brown. If you lift the bread and tap-it it should sound hollow, it is cooked.
Using a knife butter the top of the soda bread using a small amount of butter (keeps it soft), wrap the soda bread in a clean tea towel to cool.

Soda Farls

Soda Farls

• 8oz / 250 gms/ 2 cup plain flour (all purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 rounded (not a extra large heaped) teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda (baking soda)
• 1/2 pt/ 1/4 litre/ 1 cups buttermilk

Sieve all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.
Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk, mix all ingredients the dough should be quite soft (wet and stickily), if its too dry add more buttermilk.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface and very gently knead (don't knead like bread its more a light massage)
Shape into a circle and with a knife cut 4 pieces ( farls means quarters)

place on a oiled (some people prefer lightly floured) flat griddle or skillet on medium to low heat (or a frying pan as above) My frying pan is tiny, if you can fit all 4 pieces on yours than please cook them all at once. They do puff up during cooking. Keep checking that the pan is not to hot or they will burn, to cold and they will be doughy inside (about the temperature you would fly an egg. it takes about 10-14 minutes.
Wrap in a clean tea towel until cooled to keep the crust soft (unless you eat it straight away).
Split a farl in two, toast add butter ( some people like to also add jam) and a cup of tea.

Pandan and Coconut cake

My brother wanted to learn to make cakes. He is good at cooking but has never made a cake until now, but not a plain cake, a pandan and coconut cake with buttercream icing. The results are in the photo and were very tasty too.
I was the evil big sister and made him make the cake by hand, I think that way you learn what the mixture should look and feel like. He's allowed to use the mixer for his next cake :)
This is for a small loaf tin the recipe can be increased up for a bigger cake.

Pre-heat your oven and prepare your loaf tin (I use a silicone tin, no flouring or greasing and easy cleaning)

Beat together 2.5 oz/ 70 gms/ 1/3 cup butter and 2.5 oz/70 gms/ 1/3 cup caster sugar until light and fluffy
Add 1 large egg and beat
Add 5 oz/ 145 gms/ 2/3 cup self-raising flour, 2 heaped tablespoons of desiccated coconut, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence (I use real vanilla essence it really does taste different), 1 teaspoon pandan essence mix, 4 tablespoons milk (or water if you prefer) until just combined (not over mixing)
Spoon into your prepared loaf tin, make a small well along centre of cake to stop it having a pointy bit in the middle when cooked (unless you want a pointy bit down the middle of your cake) and cook for approx. 30 mins in a moderate heat oven or until brown. Tip: if you put a knife into the centre of the cake it should come out clean (no mixture sticking to it)
Leave to cook
Buttercream
2 oz / 50 gms/ 1/3 cup butter, 4 oz/ 100 gms/ 2/3 cup icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar), 1/2 pandan essence, a few drops warm water (please do not add to much water or the icing will be runny)
Mix all together and spread over the cooled cake, you can sprinkle a little coconut for decoration