Slainte! Happy St. Patricks Day.....and now for the best Irish Soda Bread you'll ever taste!

Slainte!  Do you know that is the most used Irish word in America?  It is Gaelic and translates "Health"...which refers to good health and is often used in terms of toasting when drinking.  We here at Cook n Craft Academy wish everyone "Slainte"!!!!!  Along with that...we hope that everyone's end of the rainbow has a pot of gold!  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

To be honest with you...as I like to be, I never was a fan of Irish soda bread.  I suppose it's because we never really grew up with it.  Coming from an Italian and Slovak family I was more use to pasta, lasagna, pierogi's, stuffed cabbage etc.  As I got older and started working, going how with friends many people offered me Irish Soda Bread on St. Patrick's day....and as I tasted it I never felt like I missed much not having it...because it always tasted.....tasteless.  Then I began searching recipes...I figured if I made it myself I might like it better.  I failed every time.

Fast forward to my job working for Martha Stewart.  Now that's a woman on the hunt for a great recipe no matter what the dish is.  She's always searching for something better...even when hers tastes incredible...she's open to finding new and better recipes.  So as St. Patrick's Day was approaching she put her producers on the search for the ultimate Irish Soda Bread recipe.  Viewers sent in their favorite traditional recipes.  One day, our executive in charge of production Bill Herlihy was telling us how his mom Maud used to make the most amazing Irish Soda Bread.  People would request his mom to make it all the time.  Us producers never turn down a lead...we asked him for the recipe.   He gave our kitchen staff the recipe.  I took the recipe as well because I wanted to test it too.  The first thing I noticed was the dough was way too sticky.  My first reaction was that I was doing something wrong... I must have added in the wrong measurement.  But as I looked at the recipe, I followed it perfectly.  So I proceeded figuring Bill must have written the measurements down wrong.  I was sure that this blob I just made was going to be a "Fail"!!!

I put the blob in the oven and as it baked I remember thinking...that smells pretty good.  When the Irish soda bread came out of the oven and cooled a little I sliced it and placed a pat of butter on it.  I tasted it....and frankly, I thought I died and went to heaven...WOW...that was amazing.  It was by far the best Irish Soda Bread I ever tasted... It was incredible.  I couldn't believe how delicious it was.   It has become a family favorite and I make it every year.   So now I am going to share this recipe with you...I promise you will be pleased!!!!

Maud Herlihy's Irish Soda Bread   

Makes 1 loaf

Yield

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and frozen, plus more, softened, for skillet
• 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups raisins
• 1 cup buttermilk
• Caraway seeds (optional)

Directions

1. 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack set in lower third of oven. Lightly butter a 10-inch round cast-iron skillet; set aside.
2. 2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter, sour cream and egg; mix, using a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins, buttermilk, and caraway seeds, if using, and mix until a sticky dough forms.
3. 3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a floured bench scraper, form into a round loaf; using a sharp knife score a large "X" in the center.
4. 4. Place in prepared skillet and transfer to oven. Bake until loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. If top begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover with a piece of parchment paper-lined aluminum foil. Transfer to a wire rack to c