I got an e-mail from King Arthur Flour the other day which included a recipe for Irish Soda Bread Muffins. They looked good, and I gave them a try yesterday. With the caraway seeds, they are a little savory, and really have a good flavor. Might need a little more liquid than what the recipe calls for though, I did.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Irish Soda Bread Muffins

Recipe By :King Arthur Flour Website

Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:15

Categories : Breakfast Desserts

Muffins Want To Try

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour

3/4 Cup Whole Wheat flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/3 Cup granulated Sugar

1 1/2 Cups Raisin -- or currants

1 teaspoon Caraway seeds -- To Taste

1 Egg

1 cup Buttermilk -- or Yogurt or Sour Cream

6 Tablespoons Butter -- Melted

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly grease a standard muffin pan; or line with papers, and grease the papers.

2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, currants or raisins, and caraway seeds.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk (or equivalent) and melted butter (or equivalent).

Quickly and gently combine the dry and wet ingredients; honestly, this won't take more than a few stirs with a bowl scraper or large spoon. As soon as everything is evenly moistened, quit; further stirring will cause the muffins to be tough.

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, filling the cups about 3/4 full; the stiff batter will look mounded in the cups. Top dough with Sparkling white sugar.

5. Bake the muffins for 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Tip the muffins in the pan, so their bottom don't get soggy. Remove them from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a rack to cool. Serve them plain, or with butter and/or jam.

Start to Finish Time:

"0:35"

T(Bake Time):

"0:20"

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Per serving: 224 Calories (kcal); 7g Total Fat; (25% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 32mg Cholesterol; 195mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : So who says Irish soda bread HAS to be made in a round or loaf pan? These coffee-break-sized muffins, bursting with tiny sweet currants and a hint (or a hit, your choice) of caraway, are the perfect offering for St. Patrick's Day -- particularly if you're looking to celebrate with something other than corned beef and cabbage!

This is not at all a traditional Irish soda bread, which would be simply made with whole-wheat flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. Thoroughly Americanized, these muffins have traveled a long, long way from their Irish origin -- as have most of us Irish-Americans.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0