Luck of the Irish!

St Patrick's Day is almost here. The streets will be full of drunken partiers. Me??? No alcohol for me.... How about a nice big hunk of IRISH SODA BREAD with some Kerrygold Butter? My favorite Irish Soda Bread is this Almond Irish Soda Bread. Sweet and delicious....ENJOY!! No Caraway seeds for me though........................

Almond Irish Soda Bread

Grated Almond Paste makes an extra moist Irish soda bread and combines wonderfully with caraway for the best flavor ever. Don't wait until St. Patrick's Day to serve this tasty bread, it's a treat any time of the year!


1 (7 oz) box Odense Almond Paste

1/2 cup sugar

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup raisins

1 Tbsp caraway seeds

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg, beaten

4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter, melted


Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a baking sheet.

2 Grate Almond Paste on large hole side of a box grater, directly into a large bowl. Add sugar and mix with finger tips until combined into small crumbs. Add flour, baking powder, soda, salt, raisins and caraway seeds. Mix with spoon.

3 Make a well in the center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk, egg and butter. Stir until combined and mixture can be pressed into a ball.

4 Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and knead lightly. Shape into a round, flat loaf about 7-8 inches in diameter.

5 Place on baking sheet and lightly flour top. With a sharp knife or razor, lightly score an x across the bread. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on rack for 15 minutes before cutting.