With St Patty’s Day quickly approaching, I feel it is my duty to share one of my favorite Irish recipes with you. Irish Soda Bread Muffins! The loveliest little Irish treats!
I may not be Irish, like at all, but I hold a special place in my heart for Irish Soda Bread.
While studying abroad in my college days (I feel old saying that), I had the awesome opportunity to visit Ireland! Armed with my 22 euro RyanAir plane tickets and alongside with my fav travel buddies, I set off to discover the Emerald Isle.
Of course as college student travelers we were in search of cheap lodging, so we settled on a hostel in a little fishing town right outside Dublin proper, called Dún Laoghaire.
Cutest little port town ever! Seriously! And even though we had to take the train into the city, it was so worth it to experience a more country side of Ireland. I remember the feeling of walking along the pier taking in the scenery of this magical place.
Upon arrival, we headed to a coffee shop, first thing! And to our big surprise, Irish coffee shops serve up large mugs of delicious coffee, more american style than European style. None of the French, Italian tiny coffee thing. We were in heaven!
With my glorious cup of Joe, I ordered something new. A big hunk of Irish Soda Bread with a healthy lathering of gorgeous European butter. OH MY GOD! Hail the bread lords!
This was one of the best things I tasted on this whole trip! Hearty but soft, crumbly but buttery, salt and sweet with little bursts of currents. Like a cross between a blissful scone and a biscuit. All coated in salty extra fatty butter.
Fast forward 11 years and I’m sitting here indulging in my version of this Irish delight with a mug of coffee.
What’s best about this bread is:
- No yeast needed! Baking soda and powder do all the work!
- It has surprisingly little butter.
- It’s perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
- Making them in muffin form makes them extra portable!
If you want to make anything truly Irish for St. Patrick’s Day, look no further. Irish Soda Bread Muffins is the recipe to make!
Yields 24 regular size muffins. Less if using large muffin tin.
Ingredients
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray or butter for greasing
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into cubes or grated
- 1 cup buttermilk*
- 2/3 cup raisins or currants
- 1 tablespoon of coarse sugar like Sugar in the Raw
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray or butter a small or large muffin tin.
- Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl.
- Add cold butter. Using fingertips, rub in until it resembles coarse meal.
- Make well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk. Gradually stir dry ingredients into milk to blend. Mix in raisins. Try not to over mix the dough.
- Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a pinch of coarse sugar over all of the muffins.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes (longer for the larger muffins), or until cake tester inserted in center of one muffin comes out clean.
- Remove muffin and set on wire rack. Cool 5 minutes and serve.
Notes
You can either use store bought buttermilk or make your own by adding 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to 1 cup of whole milk. My toddler and I both absolutely love raisins so that’s what we like to use. But currants are amazing as well. These muffins freeze well. Simply wrap in plastic wrap and then place in freezer bag. Thaw on the counter overnight.
Recipe adapted from Epicurious.
Originally posted 2017-03-13 07:00:00.
Lisa Hockett says
Lisa Hockett says
Valerie says