Irish Soda Bread

I spent my Pre Christmas days watching Nutcracker, hearing Celtic music and baking. This Thanksgiving, I had been planning to bake a pumpkin cake and roast a chicken but then my little fella ended up being so ill and when he is ill, he just wants to hold his Mom, all the time. With no family or friends near by, I realized hard way why wait for an occasion. ..want to bake- just go ahead when things are in order and your spouse is at home happily looking after your kid. Well Celtic music is still a long way,so I zeroed in for an Irish soda bread for breakfast. Best thing about this bread is- no need to knead time and again to get the correct consistency. This recipe is quite forgiving and serves four to five and Yes it does reminds of that childhood's Hot cross Bun from those favorite nursery rhymes.

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Ingredients: 

• 2 cups All purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons Sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup raisin
• 1 egg ( optional)
• 3/4 buttermilk ( if use don't keep buttermilk just take cold milk and add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in it)

Method:

1. Mix up flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a deep vessel, the mixture should be somewhat crumbly
2. Add egg ( I add egg for nutrition, you can omit it totally), buttermilk/ milk with lemon juice and raisins and mix
3. Use your hand and knead it roughly, use a little bit of  dry flour to knead comfortably
4. Shape the above into a big round ball and cut 1/4 inch deep cross on it
5. Preheat the oven to 375 F
6. Bake for 40 minutes in a greased tray, you could also use the parchment paper like I did :)

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Add some lime juice and mint leaves into the water before you freeze them into ice cubes,
they certainly make you drink a little more water than usual.
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