I’m not sure you’re ready for this…
Okay, not that. But before we get into it, Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Any holiday that has a “color” associated with it reminds me of when I was a kid and my aunt and uncle used to dye our pancakes when my sister and I stayed over. They’d always claim it was a leprechaun or cupid, but I knew better. 😉
St. Patrick’s Day also reminds me of being in Boston and walking to class seeing the lines outside the Irish pubs at 10am with people waiting for green beer. They had a drink and my underage self went to class…
Anyway, would anyone be surprised if I said one of my favorite things about St. Patrick’s Day is food related? …didn’t think so. And no, I’m not talking about the corned beef.
I remember my parents making corned beef, cabbage and carrots every year, but the highlight for me was always the Irish Soda Bread. I just can’t get enough. Last year I made the mistake of waiting until St. Patrick’s Day to go looking for it and just couldn’t get my hands on any. It was a travesty. And then I found some a few days later only to discover it was moldy. Where was it on St. Patrick’s Day when it wasn’t moldy? Lame.
This year, the hunt is over because I don’t need store bought Irish Soda bread when I have flour and baking soda myself! I did a little Google searching again this evening and was so excited when I found some vegan Irish Soda Bread recipes floating around the internet. And it looked like something I could do. So I did it.
(Courtesy of the Happy Herbivore)
Servings: 4
Description:
A whole wheat vegan version of the Irish comfort food! Perfect for spreading jam or dipping into coffee or tea. Lemon juice may be substituted for the apple cider vinegar. You can also increase the sugar to 4 tbsp for a sweeter bread.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups non-dairy milk
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp raw sugar (optional)
- 1 cup raisins (optional)
Instructions:
Combine the apple cider vinegar with non-dairy milk and set aside for at least 5 minutes. Grab a really big mixing bowl (the biggest you have) and add the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and raisins. Whisk until it’s evenly combined and well incorporated. Whisk the non-dairy milk mixture a few times until it’s light yellow and curdled. Slowly pour non-dairy milk mixture into the flour, stirring as you go with a wooden spoon until it’s wet and dough-like. You may not use all of the liquid. Knead the dough once or twice to shape it into a ball but be careful not to over knead or it will be tough. Place dough on a greased cookie sheet or a greased cast-iron skillet (how the Irish do it). Using a serrated knife to make an “X”. Bake 30 to 45 minutes @ 425F, until it’s golden and cooked thoroughly. Check by pushing a long, wooden skewer or thin chopstick into the center. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Also add an aluminum foil tent over top after 20-25 minutes if the top is burning or getting too dark.
I didn’t have raisins, so I kept them out. I used the sugar. My non-dairy milk was almond milk and I did have apple cider vinegar. I used 3 cups whole wheat flour and 1 regular (I didn’t have enough). So it wasn’t exact, but it was pretty darn close. And it turned out pretty darn delicious.
While it’s not quite as Irish Soda Bread-y as I was expecting, it’s something I can eat without the potential of feeling sick and it’s my own fault I didn’t have raisins (one of my favorite parts). And it was so good I couldn’t wait to dig in…
What are your plans for St. Patrick’s Day?
Are you Irish? I AM.
