The Ugliest Cookie You'll Ever Eat

One of the things the irish are best known for (besides being notorious drunks) is that they can make a little go a long way. They made the most of what they had, however little it was. They made up recipes out of whatever was in their bare cupboards - like the irish lace cookie. There's not a lot going on in this cookie and they aren't very pretty either, but they sure do taste good. And since they're a drop cookie, kids can help make them!!!


My cookie helper, Abby


Lulu getting in on the cookie action!

Irish Lace Cookies

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats


In a bowl cream the butter with the brown sugar until light and fluffy and beat in the flour, milk and vanilla. Stir in the oats, drop rounded teaspoons of the dough about 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets, and bake the cookies in batches in the middle of a preheated 350ºF oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are golden. Let the cookies stand on the sheets for 1 minute, or until they are just firm enough to be moved with a metal spatula. If you take them up too soon they'll fall apart - like really bad. Transfer the cookies to a rack and let them cool completely.

Makes about 24 cookies.


Ethan didn't want any part of the baking, but of course he wanted a cookie!


Ugly, irish cookies!!!

New Music Monday 3/15/2010 'Capercaillie'

Capercaillie is one of my favorite bands to listen to around St. Patrick's Day or just any time I'm feeling particularly irish-y. We saw them play live quite a few years ago at Celtic Fest in the city and I have been a fan ever since.



Capercaillie are originally from Scotland and got their start in the 80s. The cool thing about them is that they take the traditional songs and sing them in Gaelic, but use modern production techniques and electronic instruments. Karen Matheson's voice is amazing even if you can't understand what she's saying half of the time! Here are a few of my favorite songs from several different albums......

'Beautiful Wasteland'


'The Tree'


'Kepplehall'


'Four Stone Walls'


If you're looking for some celtic music to play on St Patrick's Day that's a little more low key than Flogging Molly or The Pogues, Capercaillie is it. We're busy gearing up for our family's St. Patrick's Day dinner here. I have all of the groceries and the kids and I hung some shamrocks from the ceiling and put up the shamrock window clings too. Tomorrow we'll be making irish lace cookies, so I'll be sure to post the recipe and pictures of my kids making a mess in the kitchen!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Oh, yes. It's that time of year again! Corned beef and cabbage time!!! It smells so bad, but it tastes so good. And it looks good too!!!



Now, corned beef and cabbage aren't traditionally eaten in Ireland (although in the early 1800s County Cork was the biggest exporter of canned corned beef). It's about as irish as spaghetti and meatballs. You see, back in poor times the cows were used for their milk and not their meat. Beef was a delicacy and meat was as well.... reserved for holidays and special occasions. On those occasions, the irish would eat ham/bacon joint with their potatoes and cabbage. But when irish immigrants came over here in the mid 1800s they weren't able to find bacon like they'd had in Ireland. They found that Jewish corned beef was similar in texture and used that for their St. Patrick's Day celebrations. So corned beef and cabbage isn't really all that irish, but it is St. Patrick's Day. Ish.

So, here is the link to the recipe I've been using for the past few years that has never failed me once!!! http://www.recipezaar.com/NYC-Corned-Beef-and-Cabbage-15846
It's a good one and it also has a lot of important info on how to select the best corned beef, how to know if the cabbage is ripe, etc. Be sure to serve it with some nice soda bread, a green salad and bottle of Harp's. I also like to make a sauce for the corned beef (not that it needs any, it just tastes good with it!!).... Here's the recipe for that:

1 Tbsp horseradish
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
2 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
2 Tbsp dijon mustard

Don't be intimidated by corned beef and cabbage. It's a little involved, but if I can keep my focus enough to make it I think anyone can!! And it tastes so good it's worth it. Happy eating!!!

Irish Soda Bread

I always had trouble making a decent soda bread on St. Patty's Day. That is until I found this simple recipe!!! Soda bread dates all the way back to the 1840s. This simple quick bread is a staple of the irish diet and compliments many traditional irish dishes.



Irish Soda Bread

2 cups all purpose flour (I like to use 1 cup each of white & wheat flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup golden raisins

1. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
2. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Combine 1 beaten egg, raisins and buttermilk.
4. Add to mixture above and stir until just moistened.
5. On a lightly floured surface, knead gently for 12 strokes.
6. On a greased baking sheet, shape the mixture into a 6 inch round loaf and cut a cross (4 inches wide and 1/4 inch deep) in the top. Some irish folk say that a cross is cut into the top of the bread to ward of evil or to let fairies out. I'd sooner think it's to let the steam escape, but what the hell do I know?
7. Brush with the other beaten egg.
8. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes or until golden and knife comes out clean.

Stay tuned for more irish recipes!!!

New Music Monday 3/8/2010 - Lunasa

This week (and next week as well) I will be blogging about irish music in honor of St. Patrick's Day. It's getting so close I can almost taste the corned beef!! I guess I could have went with a more well known irish group like Flogging Molly or Clannad or The Pogues, but I wanted to post about someone you may not hear of unless you read this blog. If you love celtic music, you will love Lunasa.



Their album 'The Story So Far' is a collection of previously recorded tracks from their six other records. Sort of a "best of" if you will. This would certainly be a good place to start if you don't own any of those other albums.



Lunasa is an instrumental group and probably one of the best to come around as far as traditional Irish music goes. They were founded in 1996 when musicians Seán Smyth, Trevor Hutchinson, and Donogh Hennessy briefly toured through Scandinavia. This is the kind of music you'd hear in the small town pubs across Ireland. Here is a little sample of 'The Story So Far.'

'Morning Nightcap'


'Black River'


'Cregg's Pipes'


'Punch'


'Eanair' - gorgeous!


'The Last Pint' - this is live - LOVE the part where someone yells 'bastard' in a thick Irish accent before they start playing!!! Ha ha!!!


If Lunasa doesn't get you in the irish spirit, nothing will!! They still go on tour each year and I am hoping someday I will be able to see them live at Celticfest in the city. Happy listening!!!!

Green Velvet Cupcakes with Irish Cream Cheese Frosting

My love for cupcakes and all things irish have come together!! Over the next couple of weeks I will be posting not one, not two but THREE fabulous cupcake recipes in honor of St. Patrick's Day. We start celebrating as soon as it's March, people. It's St. Patrick's Day all month!!!

The first recipe is just a twist on my classic recipe for red velvet cupcakes, using green food coloring in place of red. Would you?? Could you?? Eat a green cupcake??? Kinda weird, but hey it's St. Patrick's Day!! For the frosting, I tweaked my cream cheese frosting recipe by adding some irish cream to it in place of milk. Hello, amazing!!!!! By the way, I love me some Bailey's but did you know you can make your own irish cream?? It's beyond anything you've ever tasted, trust me. One sip and you'll be kissing the Blarney Stone!!!


My favorite helper!! Chef Lulu!

Green Velvet Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 Tbsp (YES, Tablespoons!) green food coloring
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.
2.With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.
3.Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.
4.Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.


It's not easy being a green cupcake!

Irish Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick (1/2 cup) of unsalted butter, room temp
8 oz block of cream cheese, room temp
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp Irish Cream (you can use Bailey's or make your own!!)

1. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
2. Add the irish cream and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding until you get to desired sweetness and thickness.
3. Either spread on with a blunt knife or spatula, or spoon into a piping bag to decorate your cupcakes.


Extreme frosting close up....

Homemade Irish Cream Recipe

1 cup heavy cream
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 2/3 cups Irish whiskey
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions
In a blender, combine heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, Irish whiskey, instant coffee, chocolate syrup, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Blend on high for 20 to 30 seconds. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Shake well before serving.



That's all there is to it! Happy baking!!!

See Ya Later, February!!

Oh, my gosh I am so relieved that February is over!! I never want to wish the time away, but honestly I always look forward to March - St. Patrick's Day, irish cooking, irish music, daylight savings, signs that spring really is on it's way..... It's all just such a relief to me!!

You'll notice that my playlist is all irish music right now. Give it a listen! It starts out slower and builds into some really good drinking music. ;) No one can drink like the irish! So stay tuned over the next couple of weeks because I'll be posting some fabulous St. Patty's Day recipes and great irish music. Bring it on, March!!!