Cookery
Using your loaf Five recipes from the ICA Book of Bread and Baking
Sun-Dried Tomato and Pesto Bread Rita Carolan, Clones Guild, Monaghan
Boiled Guinness Cake Patty O’Brien, Abbeyknockmoy Guild, Galway This is a versatile cake that can be baked into a cake or a loaf, or as a couple of small loaves, which make handy gifts when visiting a friend. You can replace the Guinness with equal quantities of tea to make a boiled fruit cake. Serves 12 275ml (½ pint) Guinness from a bottle or can 225g (8oz) butter 225g (8oz) soft brown sugar 225g (8oz) raisins 225g (8oz) sultanas 110g (4oz) dried cherries 50g (2oz) mixed peel 1 rounded teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 570g (1lb 4oz) plain flour 1 rounded teaspoon mixed spice 1 rounded teaspoon ground nutmeg 50g (2oz) ground almonds 3 eggs, well beaten
A family friend recently shared this recipe with me and it’s quickly becoming a favourite among my friends and family. It’s lovely to serve with homemade soup or simply straight out of the oven, smothered with butter. Makes one medium loaf 450g (1lb) plain flour, plus extra for dusting 1 heaped teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 85g (3oz) sun-dried or semi-dried tomatoes, in oil 300ml (10fl oz) buttermilk 2 tablespoons basil pesto 50g (2oz) Parmesan cheese, grated What you’ll need : Baking sheet , Rolling pin , Wire rack
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What you’ll need: Spatula or palette knife 1 x deep 20cm (8in) cake tin or 2 x 900g (2lb) loaf tins or 4 x 450g (1lb) loaf tins Baking parchment, Tinfoil, Wire rack 1. Preheat oven to 170 ˚ C/325 ˚ F/Gas 3. Grease the tin(s) and line the base(s) with baking parchment. 2. Combine the Guinness, butter and sugar in a large saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer, stirring, until the butter is melted and the sugar completely dissolved. Add the dried fruit and mixed peel and simmer over a low heat for another four or five minutes. 3. Remove from heat, add the soda and mix well before setting aside to cool. (If you want to speed up the cooling, you can fill the sink with cold water and partly submerge the saucepan in it, stirring to help the cooling process.) 3. Meanwhile, sieve the flour and spices into a large mixing bowl and add the ground almonds. 4. Add the beaten eggs to the cooled Guinness mixture, mixing well. Add the sieved ingredients and stir together, mixing until you have a slow dropping consistency. Turn into the prepared tin(s) and smooth the top with a spatula or palette knife. 5. Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 90 minutes if using one deep 20cm (8in) cake tin. Alternatively, bake for about 75 minutes for 900g (2lb) loaf tins, or about 60 minutes for 450g (1lb) loaf tins. Whichever size you are using, check the cake after an hour; it is ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 6. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin on a wire rack to cool fully before removing baking parchment. Wrap in fresh parchment and then tinfoil and store in an airtight container, where it will keep for at least a week. If you can resist cutting for a few days, the flavour will improve in that time. 60 Senior Times l January - February 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie
ICA Tip This would work just as well with Irish wild garlic pesto if you 19 want to celebrate the seasons and use some local produce. 1. Preheat oven to 180 ˚ C/350 ˚ F/Gas 4. Grease and flour a baking sheet. 2. Sieve the flour, soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. 3. Remove the tomatoes from their oil and pat dry with kitchen paper. Chop roughly and mix into the bowl of flour. Add enough buttermilk to make a soft dough, taking care not to make it too wet – you may only need about three-quarters of what you have. 4. Turn the dough onto a floured worktop and use a rolling pin to roll gently into a square of about 30cm (12in). Spread with the pesto and sprinkle over the grated cheese. Roll the dough up like a Swiss roll and transfer to the floured baking sheet. Dust the top with flour. 5. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45–50 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool a little before serving.
Oat and Honey Crunch Biscuits Eileen Bambrick, Drumboylan Guild, Roscommon Crunchy and slightly chewy, these biscuits are delicious served with your morning coffee. Just one or two will certainly do, though, as they are quite rich. You can simply double up the ingredients if you’d like to make a larger batch. Makes 12 biscuits 110g (4oz) softened butter, plus extra for greasing 110g (4oz) caster sugar 1 teaspoon clear honey 1 1/2 tablespoons hot water 110g (4oz) rolled oats 110g (4oz) plain flour ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda What you’ll need 2 x large baking sheets , Wire rack
