Moist Johnny Cake

Today is the 4th of July and although we’re not doing anything special, I wanted to try something as American as baseball and apple pie.  I tried this Johnny Cake recipe that turned out quite nice.  I’ve always felt that corn bread should be sweet but most recipes are much less sweet than I think they should be.  I’ve tasted a delicious version of corn bread many years ago at a local barbeque restaurant that has since closed, so there’s no chance of ever having it again.  This Johnny Cake recipe is most like what I expect corn bread to be and it’s an American classic – perfect for your 4th of July celebration and easy to make too.

There’s another Johnny Cake recipe that I’d like to try, so you may see another version sometime soon.

Enjoy.

Moist Johnny Cake

Yield:  12 cupcakes or one 8 by 8 inch cake                Cook Time:  20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil

Directions:

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare an 8 by 8 inch pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray or line a muffin pan with paper liners or spray with cooking spray.

Step 2:  Combine the first four ingredients in a medium bowl.

Step 3:  Beat egg in a small bowl.  Add sugar to egg and mix.

Step 4:  Heat milk in a small saucepan on the stove or in a small bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds or until lukewarm.

Step 5:  Transfer milk to a large bowl and mix in honey.  Add the egg and oil to the milk mixture.

Step 6:  Mix the flour mixture into the milk mixture until smooth.  Pour into the prepared pan.

Step 7:  Bake for 20 minutes.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Use the aluminum foil to remove the cake from the pan and cool completely.  Slice into 16 pieces and eat with butter while warm or by itself.

Enjoy!!!

Recipe adapted from Food.com.

Irish Soda Bread 2

Saint Patrick’s day has come and gone.  Spring has sprung early this year and my Crocus have bloomed already.

Back to the Irish Soda Bread…

I baked another version of Irish Soda Bread.  This version isn’t like the one I remember but it’s quite tasty.  My taste testers have classified it as delicious.  This one bakes up like a cake.  I got the recipe from an Irish co-worker and then modified it.

After mixing together the ingredients, the mixture looks like this.

Ready for the oven.

Hot out of the oven.

Irish Soda Bread

Yield:  2 loaves                Cook Time:  30 – 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups sifted all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 cups raisins, soaked in water for 15 to 20 minutes and drained well
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg, well beaten

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Generously butter 2 9-inch round cake pans or pie pans.  Alternately, you can use cooking spray instead of butter.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together.  Add the butter, well beaten egg, sour cream, milk and raisins to the flour mixture.  Place in the pans.  It’s traditional to cut a cross in the top of the bread before baking but this version is too soft for that.

Bake for 30 – 40 minutes.  Test with a toothpick for doneness.  Cool in the pans for 15 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!!!

Recipe adapted from a co-worker’s recipe.  The original recipe follows, if you’d like to try that version.

Irish Soda Bread – Original Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 cups raisins, soaked in water for 15 to 20 minutes and drained well
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg, well beaten
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Generously butter 1 9-inch round cake pan or pie pan.  Alternately, you can use cooking spray instead of butter.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together.  Add the butter, well beaten egg, sour cream, milk, raisins and caraway seeds to the flour mixture.  Place in the pans.  It’s traditional to cut a cross in the top of the bread before baking.

Bake for 40 minutes.  Test with a toothpick for doneness.  Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.