Rosemary and Cheddar Irish Soda Bread

Irish soda bread is another recipe you find close to St. Patrick's Day.  It is a different kind of bread.  Main thing is no yeast.  This was a different type of soda bread, it has cheese and rosemary in it.  It turned out really good.  I think next time I will half the recipe.  It made one big loaf of bread. 

It turns out so pretty.  The recipe said you could bake it in a cast iron skillet too.

Cream of tartar is the one ingredient you might not expect.

Start with 4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

The recipe called for 3 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, mine died during the cold winter so I used 1 Tablespoon dried.

2 cups buttermilk

1 egg

4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Add the wet ingredients to the dry.

Then add the cheese

Mix well.  It will look like a muffin batter.

Turn out on a lightly floured surface.

Spread some flour on a baking sheet.

Lightly knead the dough.  It is very sticky.

Transfer to the baking sheet.

You can't tell but cut a cross on top of the bread.  Place in a preheated 425 oven.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Cut while warm and add some butter.  Nothing better than some warm bread and butter.

Rosemary and Cheddar Irish Soda Bread Recipe

4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 Tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Bake in a preheated 425 oven for 30-35 minutes.

St Patrick's Day Green Velvet Sugar Cookie Bars

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone.  This is a very easy sugar cookie bar. If you want some other color for a holiday I'm sure it would be easy to change the color to whatever you like.

Complete with gold on top.  These are gold sprinkles that I found at Publix.  You can't have a St Patrick's Day dessert without gold.

 This is similar to a red velvet recipe.  You need the white vinegar for that chemical reaction.  It bubbled when I added.

 Start with 14 Tablespoons of softened butter.

 1 1/2 cup sugar

 Mix well until fluffy.  Add 2 eggs.

 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

 1/2 teaspoon salt

 1 teaspoon vinegar

 2 teaspoons vanilla

 1 Tablespoon green food coloring

 Mix well.

 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour.

 Mix well.

 Then add to a sprayed 9x13 baking dish.

 Spread it out well.  Place in a preheated 350 oven, bake for 20-22 minutes.

 It's a nice bright green when it comes from the oven.

 While the cake is cooling you need to work on the icing.

 8 oz of softened cream cheese and 4 Tablespoons butter.

 Whip those together well.

 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla.  Now you will want to use clear vanilla so the icing doesn't become a beige color.  I didn't have any more clear vanilla, it's now on my list, so I used clear almond flavoring.

 2 cups powdered sugar.

 Mix well.

 Ice the cookie.

 Then put the gold sprinkles on top to finish it.

 It's pretty but not too pretty to eat.

Then slice it up to eat after your corned beef and cabbage.  Keep the cookie in the fridge.

Green Velvet Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
14 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 Tablespoons green food coloring

Icing

8 oz cream cheese
4 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Bake in a preheated 350 oven Bake for 20-22 minutes.

St. Patrick's Day

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day and it is not too late to enjoy some of these great holiday foods.  So rush out to the store to buy the things you need for that perfect St. Patrick's Day meal.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Reuben Sandwich

Irish Soda Bread

Pistachio St. Patrick's Day Bread

At the End of the Rainbow Cake

McDonald's Shamrock Shake

Italian Shrimp Bake

You can't go wrong with shrimp, even in the middle of winter. This is a quick and easy way to make some delicious shrimp.

The lemon gives it a nice tangy flavor.

 Rinse your shrimp well.

 Thinly slice the lemon.

 Okay I started in another dish.  Place the lemon on the bottom.  I only had one but if you had two that would be better.

 Lay the shrimp on top. I would peel the shrimp next time before cooking.  It would take a little longer on the front end but I think it would be worth it.

 Take the stick of butter.

 Melt it.

 Pour the butter on top of the shrimp

 Pour the dry Italian seasonings on top.

 This is where peeling the shrimp would be helpful.  It would make the seasonings stick on to the shrimp. Place in a preheated 350 oven and bake for 15 minutes.  If you peel the shrimp in the last 2 minutes turn the oven up to broil to caramelize the seasonings.

 Fresh from the oven.

Served with the flat, broke and busted potatoes and some homemade bread and you have a wonderful meal.

Italian Shrimp Bake Recipe

1 1/2 pounds shrimp
1 stick melted butter
lemons
1 pkg Italian dressing mix

Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 15 minutes.