St. Patrick's Day ~ Buttery Sugar Cookies

 

St. Patrick's Day or Feast of Saint Patrick (Lá Fhéile Pádraig) is a cultural and religious celebration held on March 17th for Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland; who is believed to have died on March 17th and was buried at Downpatrick, over the centuries many legends grew around Patrick and he became Ireland's foremost saint. It was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and the day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish. Celebrations generally involve public parades, festivals, céilis and the wearing of green attire and or shamrocks.

Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival and is regarded as a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated in Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. 

To mark the day I made buttery vanilla Celtic biscuits using Bakerlogy cookie cutters and their Vanilla Sugar Cookie recipe. The recipe is shared below however do visit Bakerlogy (bakerlogy.com) for other recipes and to view of their unique artisan cookie cutters.

Bakerlogy Vanilla Sugar Cookies

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Ingredients 

• 250g Unsalted butter (9oz)
• 200g Granulated Sugar (7oz)
• 1 Large Egg
• 2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract 
• 450g Plain Flour (1lb)

 

Steps 

For best results, mix ingredients at room temperature. Prep and baking time: 20 minutes. Chill time: 1.5 hours.

1. Mix softened butter and sugar until mixture is smooth.
2. Add the egg and vanilla extract into the mixture and beat to combine.
3. Add half of the flour and mix well. Then add the rest of the flour, mix and knead until you have a soft dough mixture.
4. Split the dough equally in two and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
5. Once chilled, roll out your dough onto baking paper to 5mm thickness and cut out your designs. Use a small amount of flour to dust over the dough surface, cutter and rolling pin. For best results further chill for half an hour before baking. 
6. Bake at 170C for 10 minutes. Leave to chill before decorating and serving. 

 Extra notes on this recipe

• You can switch the vanilla extract for almond for a different flavour
• For citrus fruit cookies you can add orange, lemon or lime (the zest of 2 and juice of 1) at step 2.

      

Cottage Pie

Cottage Pie and Shepherds Pie seems interchangeable however they are different. Cottage pie is made with minced beef and Shepherds pie made with minced lamb. The term cottage pie was in use by 1791 and the term shepherds pie didn't appear until 1854. 

Originating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The name Cottage Pie was introduced at the end of the 18th century. It was around that time that poorer people in Britain, the people who lived in cottages in the country, started using potatoes as an everyday food. 

Other savoury pie variations include: 

St. Stephen's Day Pie: made with turkey or ham. 

Cumberland Pie: made with either beef or lamb and a layer of breadcrumbs and cheese on top. 

Fish Pie: made with seafood and a béchamel sauce topped with mashed potatoes.

Shepherdess Pie: a vegan or vegetarian alternative.  

Pâté Chinois: a French Canadian version of the dish made with a layer of minced beef, canned creamed corn and mashed potatoes. 

Other countries that have similar dishes are the Netherlands with Philosopher's Stew, Brazil's Escondidinho, Argentinian Pastel de Papa, Uruguayan Pastel de Carne, Indonesia Pastel Tutup and Portugal's Empadão.  

Cottage Pie

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Serves 4 to 6 

50 g/ 2oz butter

575g / 1 1/4 lbs minced beef

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

100g / 4oz mushrooms, chopped

30ml / 2 tablespoons plain flour

300ml / 1/2 pint Beef stock

5ml / 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

900g / 2 lbs potatoes, halved

30ml / 2 tablespoons milk

pinch of grated nutmeg

salt and pepper

Melt half the butter in a sauce pan and fry the minced beef until browned, stirring to break up any lumps. Add the chopped onion, carrots and mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes or until softened slightly.

Stir in the flour, then pour in the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce, with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, stirring, then cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.

Cook the potatoes in a saucepan of salted boiling water for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain throughly and mash with a potato masher. Beat in the remaining butter and the milk to make a creamy consistency. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Set the oven to 200ºC / 400ºF / Gas 6. Spoon the meat mixture into an ovenproof dish. Cover with the potato and mark the top with a fork. Bake for about 25 minutes until the potato topping has browned. 

Brown Soda Bread with Molasses

I have made soda bread before however thought I would give this recipe a try. It has a slight variation, the addition of molasses. This is a quick no fuss recipe without yeast that gives a more dense and textured bread typical of rural Ireland. This soda bread is so appealing that it is great to serve anytime, with any meal and not just Irish inspired ones. 

Brown Soda Bread with Molasses

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Makes 1 loaf

2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

2 cups whole wheat flour 

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons molasses

Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with a sheet of nonstick parchment paper.

Combine the flours, oats, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl, mixing throughly.

Whisk together the buttermilk and molasses in a large pitcher. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Using a fork, stir the liquid, gradually drawing in the flour from around the edge. With floured hands, lightly knead to a soft dough.

Shape the dough into a circle and place on the lined baking sheet. Press flat to about 2 inches thick. Use a sharp knife with a long blade to cut a deep cross in the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 400ºF. Bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bottom of the bread sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool slightly. Serve warm. 

Red Cabbage with Mushrooms, Nuts, & Bacon

Cabbage is an ingredient in Irish cuisine and rightfully so. With the many colours comes different flavours; and this recipe has red cabbage lightly braised with bacon, mushrooms, and hazelnuts. With the prep work aside this dish is not complicated to create and makes for a lovely side dish.

Red Cabbage with Mushrooms, Nuts, & Bacon

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Serves 4

1/2 large red cabbage

2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil

6 thin bacon strips, cut into bite-size pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 teaspoons thyme leaves

2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped cremini mushrooms 

1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

grated zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 cup meat stock

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

pat of lightly salted butter

Substitutions: meat stock for a low sodium stock such as chicken or vegetable stock.

Quarter the cabbage lengthwise and discard the tough core in the centre. Slice the leaves widthwise into ribbons.

Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish or deep skillet over medium - high heat. Cook the bacon for about 5 minutes, until crisp.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and thyme, and cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Add the mushrooms and cabbage, and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until starting to soften. 

Stir in the nuts, lemon zest, sea salt, pepper, and sugar, and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Pour in the vinegar and stock, cover, and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.

Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in the parsley and a pat of butter just before serving.

Porter Cake

This cake is similar to fruit cake. Instead of brandy there is Porter, or stout... like Guinness. Porter cake is dense and rich; perfect for dessert or with a cup of tea. Even a scoop of maple walnut ice cream would compliment nicely.  

Porter Cake

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Makes one 7-inch cake

3 cups mixed currants and golden raisins

1 cup dried unsweetened cherries

3/4 cup finely chopped candied citrus peel

1 1/3 cups stout

2 3/4 all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon all spice

pinch of salt

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

Mix the currants, golden raisins, cherries, and citrus peel in a large bowl. Add the stout and let soak for at least 5 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 325ºF Grease and line and 7 inch square cake pan.

Sift the flour baking powder, spice, and salt into a large bowl.

Cream the butter and sugar in a separate bowl for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stir in the beaten eggs, a little at a time, adding some of the flour mixture at each addition and beating well. Stir in the remaining flour.

Add the fruit and any liquid to the batter, mixing well to a soft consistency. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, levelling the surface with a wet spatula.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Reduce the oven temperature to 300ºF and bake for an additional 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let rest in the pan until completely cool.

Invert, wrap in wax paper, and store in an airtight container. 


Notes: I baked the cake in a 9 inch square cake tin because I do not own a 7 inch one.  This is a very heavy, as in weight, cake so when removing from the oven or the tin be prepared to use some caution and muscle! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!