Tomorrow is Saint Patrick's Day and I thought I would gather as many of my Irish related recipes in one spot as possible so as to make it easy for you to find them. This is by no means all of them, but I do think that I am giving you a nice variety of them to choose from!

I suppose there are not too many people who cannot claim to have at least a small portion of Irish DNA in themselves, which gives most of us much to celebrate when it comes to Saint Patrick's Day. I had my DNA done several years ago with the end result that I was 27% Irish. 

I would have to say that the Irish are some of the most wonderful and humble people you could ever want to know. Living in the UK, I was blessed to be able to call a few Irish people friends.  You could not ask for a better friend. They are the cream of the crop.

Their food is also incredibly humble, what I would call country cooking. Straightforward and without pretense, homey fare based on unsophisticated yet delicious raw ingredients. That is what I love most about it.  It is simple and wholesome food.

Aside from fresh seafood and shellfish, which you can enjoy in abundance in Ireland, dried fruit and potatoes figure massively in Irish cooking.  A goodly portion of their breads, cakes and desserts make fabulous use of this.  You won't see any of the shellfish on here as I am allergic to shellfish and typical Irish seafood is just not easy to come by here in Canada. 

I do hope that you will enjoy the examples of recipes I have shared with you however. I know that I certainly have!

 BREADS & SCONES

WHITE IRISH SODA BREAD (NON-FRUITED) - Quick, easy and very delicious, this is the white bread version of a non-yeasted Irish quick bread.  You will see some versions containing dried fruit and you are certainly welcome to add some. Having said that, it is pretty tasty just on its own.  I enjoy it sliced and spread with butter and jam or with soups, or stews for mopping up all that delicious gravy. 

TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD - A simple classic bread in Irish households. This yeast free whole meal bread is perfect served with soups and stews, salads, etc. Its also pretty delicious served sliced and spread with butter and jam, marmalade and honey.

SMALL BATCH IRISH SODA BREAD - This is a small batch version of the traditional Irish soda bread, made for the smaller family to enjoy without having a lot of waste or leftovers. Every bit as delicious as the full batch.

BOXTY - This delicious potato bread/potato cakes is also known as Potato Farls. This is a very simple recipe and very authentic in its simplicity. Composed of only three ingredients. Potatoes, flour and salt. These are traditionally cooked on the stove top in a flat surfaced griddle pan. At one time they would have been baked on a grill pan over an open fire.

IRISH SODA BREAD MUFFINS - Small individual soda breads baked in a muffin tin. Loaded with plenty of dried currants and caraway seed.  These are fabulously easy to make a incredibly tasty! Again, quick and easy to make, bake and eat! 

IRISH TEA BRACK - A non yeasted heavily fruity bread. You begin the night before by soaking a quantity of dried fruit in Irish breakfast tea overnight. The next morning you add the remaining ingredients and bake. This is heavy, yet beautifully fruited bread that is fabulous thinly sliced, spread with butter and served up with copious amounts of hot tea.

TRADITIONAL IRISH BARMBRACK - A fruity yeasted bread that is traditionally enjoyed sliced and buttered.  This makes for a fabulous tea time treat, or even a breakfast treat.  Its delicious any time you choose to enjoy it. 

IRISH HONEY SCONES - These lovely scones are filled with the nuttiness of whole wheat and are gently sweetened with honey. They are simple, but don't let that simplicity fool you into thinking these are nothing special.

SOUPS, STEWS & MAIN DISHES 

BALNAMOON SKINK - A delicate Irish version of a delicate soup made with fresh vegetables, enriched and lightly thickened with a mixture of cream and egg.  This makes great use of the early Spring Vegetables and is light enough that although satisfying, it leaves you with room for the main course.

SMALL BATCH IRISH STEW -  A delicious lamb stew for the smaller family.  Cubes of lamb are layered in a casserole with onions, carrots and seasonings, then topped with wedges of potato and covered with stock. Cover tightly, pop into the oven and then let the oven do the work. Quite simply delicious. 

IRISH STEAK AND GUINNESS STEW - A hearty stew made with lean cubes of stewing steak, carrots, parsnips, turnips and onions, cooked in a delicious Guinness gravy until deliciously fork tender.   Plan ahead as this takes a good 2 1/2 to 3 hours to cook, but then again the best things in life are worth waiting for.

IRISH HUNTER'S PIE - Buttery mash lines a pie dish that is filled with chunks of simmered lamb. The juices of the lamb are then made into a gravy which is poured through the top of the pie to moisten the filling, with any excess being served on the side.  Simple vegetables accompany this tasty dish.

BOILED BACON AND CABBAGE - There is nothing out of the ordinary here  . . .  it's just simple imgredients . . .  cured pork, a few vegetables, water  . . .  pepper.  Cabbage.Simple ingredients put together in a simple way with extraordinarily delicious results!  I made a mustard sauce to serve with it, and boiled new potatoes . . .  but a parsley sauce is just as delicious.

CORNED BEEF WITH PARSLEY SAUCE - Tender slices of juicy perfectly cooked corned beef, served thinly sliced with a variety of fresh and tasty vegetables on the side and a deliciously lush and creamy parsley sauce!

DUBLIN CODDLE - A Coddle is a traditional Irish dish usually associated with the city of Dublin. Hearty and delicious it is a stew-type of dish created with good pork sausages, salty bacon, pearl barley, onions, potatoes and herbs.

POTATOES 

CRUSHED NEW POTATO COLCANNON - There is something pretty wonderful that happens when you combine cabbage and potatoes and Ireland. Humble ingredients put together in a most delicious way, this is considered haute cuisine in many multiple Michelin star restaurants. In short this is a beautiful side dish well deserving to be served on any table!

TRADITIONAL IRISH CHAMP - Mashed potatoes with warm milk, spring onions and butter beaten into them.  It's so tasty.   The Irish know how to do potatoes and do them well!

PUDDINGS AND CAKES

IRISH WHISKEY AND GINGER CAKE - A dense and moist cake chock full of lovely ginger flavor! With the consistency of a pound cake, this cake is studded with plenty of candied ginger and loads of ginger flavor that really shines through.

IRISH MARMALADE CAKE - A sweet and moist marmalade flavored loaf studded throughout with sticky sweet sultanas.  A delight when sliced, buttered and enjoyed with a nice refreshing hot drink. 

IRISH BOILED FRUITCAKE -  A plain cake, beautifully moist and stuffed with loads of fruit. Dried Currants and sultana raisins are boiled in a mixture of golden syrup and tea. A few other simple ingredients are added prior to baking in the oven to create a delicious moist and fruity cake that is a great keeper, and quite simply delicious. 

IRISH BLAEBERRY PUDDING -  A sweet blueberry/blaeberry/billberry fruity filling is topped with a light and delicious cake batter then baked to perfection. Delicious served warm and spooned out into bowls with a topping of cream, custard or ice cream.

IRISH APPLE CAKE - A delicious apple cake with a cake/scone base, topped with plenty of sliced apples. A topping of crumble is sprinkled on top prior to baking to perfection. Delicious served warm and sliced in wedges, along with lashings of warm custard.

BERRY BUTTERMILK COBBLER - Frozen fruit baked into a buttermilk batter, served up warm,  with a simple custard flavored with Irish Cream.  Not only is this simple to make, but also very quick.  You can have everything ready to mix together ahead of time and just do the final mixing at the last minute so that it can bake while you are enjoying your main course. 

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH A BAILEY'S CHOCOLATE SAUCE - You will want to make the cake for this the day before.  It needs several hours in the refrigerator to set up properly for cutting. (I like to leave it overnight.)  It's rich and delicious.  Top with a scoop of really good Vanilla ice cream and a spoonful of Bailey's Chocolate sauce for the perfect finish.

This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: theenglishkitchen@mail.com 

As many of  my readers know, around two years ago I had to make a horrendous life change, through no fault of my own. I found myself in the middle of a Global Pandemic having to leave everything I had  acquired and then some from my life in the UK and make my way back to Canada.

I had been collecting cookery books since I was a girl.  I had to leave all of them behind. Many of them were irreplaceable.  It broke my heart, but it was what it was. I escaped with my Big Blue Binder and a copy of my own cookery book.

Since setting up my new home here in Canada,  I have gone about trying to replace some of the books I left behind. Unfortunately, as I said, many are irreplaceable.  I am also not stinking rich, so I have had to really pick and choose which ones I wanted to replace.  Sentimentality can’t really play a role. I am having to choose only those I find useful and that I know I will use.

Today I am sharing ten baking books that I decided were worth replacing.  As you know, baking is an exact science. It is the very rare person who is able to create baking recipes from scratch without any help from others. Baking books are invaluable when it comes to that.

We can put our own twists on things, but the basics are the basics and for that we need reliable backbones to work with. I believe these books are some of the best.  There are others that I have that are very good, but almost impossible to get here in North America, (Like the Bero Baking Book) so I have kept the list to reflect only those books which I feel are easily to procure here in North America.

 

It covers everything from pancakes to pound cakes, butter cakes, fruit cakes, jelly rolls, ice cream cakes, wedding cakes, etc. With an extensive recipe list of frostings, fillings and toppings. Many recipes feature less sugar, low cholesterol and saturated fat, without taste compromise. There are a bazillion tips that solve all the problems you might encounter, as well as including many baking secrets and pointers guaranteeing success each and every time you bake a cake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This came recommended to me. It is not a book I ever had before recently. I was quite pleased with its purchase I have to say. This is a book that enables Home Bakers to follow in the footsteps of the graduates of America's leading Culinary Institute.  The best of the teachings of the CIA have been distilled into it's pages.  With clear concise explanations of essential baking methods designed to broaden your understanding and skills of the art of baking.

Streamlined recipes.  Loads of "how-to" photographs and expert instruction. This is a great baking book for the novice who is just learning or the more knowledgeable baker who is wanting to perfect their skills.

Yeast breads, quick breads, cookies, pies and tarts, cakes and tortes, custards and puddings, frozen desserts, pastries, chocolates and confectionary, icings glazes and sauces.  Techniques and recipes for each of these categories and an extensive conversion and equivalents table, plus a section dedicated to what went wrong.

 

MARY BERRY'S ULTIMATE CAKE BOOK, by Mary Berry

This had to make my list.  I received my first copy for Christmas shortly after I moved to the UK. It is filled to overflowing with beautiful recipes from the British Doyenne of Baking, Mary Berry. If you are a fan of the British Bake Off, you will know who she is.  In my opinion the show has never been the same since she left.

Mary shares the secrets of her success with over 200 recipes from the simple classics such as the Victoria Sponge, butterfly cakes and a really fabulous fruit cake, to more decadent recipes that are not only classic but sinfully indulgent. Some of my favorite cake recipes are in this book.

Yes, it is in British measurements, but that is nothing that a good pair of kitchen scales can't cope with. Once you try baking by weight, you will never want to do it any other way.

BONUS BOOK (Because I just couldn't leave it out.)

PILLSBURY, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BAKING

This is one of the very first baking books I ever purchased. Many of the recipes which became my tried and trues, that I used to bake for my family when they were growing up, came from this book.  I knew that I had to replace it so that I would still have recipes for my old favorites.

I have always felt that if you want a good baking book, go to the flour people and Pillsbury (like King Arthur) have been making and providing good flour for people for years and years.

The recipes are simple and reliable and delicious.

This is by no means a total list of my favorites.  I have more baking books that I also love, the main one being my handwritten Big Blue Binder which is filled with family favorite recipes handed down through the years and recipes shared from friends.

Do  YOU have a favorite baking book that isn't mentioned here?  Share with us all by leaving a comment in the comments section.  A joy shared is a joy doubled!