Irish Soda Bread Cookies

Cookies are very popular all over the world. Other than regular cookies, there are two types of cookies which are very popular during the festive season. They are Irish soda bread cookies and gingerbread cookies. Like the name suggests, Irish cookies have their origin in Ireland, where these are a part of the St. Patrick's Day celebrations. The common ingredients used to make these cookies are buttermilk, flour, baking powder and/or baking soda. 

The other ingredients which can also be a part of the ingredients list are raisins, nuts, eggs, etc. If the cookies have to be made using traditional recipes, then pastry or cake flour should be used, for it has lower gluten in it as compared to wheat flour. If buttermilk is not available, then yogurt can also be used.

An important instruction when while making these cookies is that the ingredients should be mixed and cookies be made immediately. The dough should not be kneaded for long.

If you do not have the time to make Irish soda bread, then Irish soda bread cookies is a great replacement option. These cookies are simply great and finish within no time. This has always happened in my house, where the cookies disappear as soon as they are made.

Ingredients

• 1½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup softened butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1½ cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt

Preparation

• In a mixing bowl, take the raisins and add boiling water to them.
• Keep it aside for 5 to 7 minutes and drain the water off.
• In another mixing bowl, sift the flour and add baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt to it and mix well.

• Add butter to the dry mixture and mix till the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
• Then add buttermilk, vanilla extract and raisins to the mixture and knead the dough. Make small cookies with the dough and place them on a greased baking sheet and let the cookies bake at 350º Fahrenheit till they are done.

• After they are done, let them cool on the rack for 10 to 15 minutes, before you can serve them a little warm.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup butter or margarine softened
• ½ cup dried currants
• 1 teaspoon caraway seed
• 1 egg
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Preparation

• While the dough is being made, let the oven preheat to 350º Fahrenheit.
• Beat an egg in a mixing bowl and add buttermilk to it, when it is light and fluffy.

• In another mixing bowl, combine flour, white sugar, and baking soda together.
• Add butter to the dry ingredients mixture and, using a blender, mix together till the mixture looks like a coarse meal.
• Now add caraway seeds and currants to the dry mixture. Alternately, they can also be added before the dry ingredients and butter are mixed using the blender.

• Add the egg mixture to the dry mixture and mix together. You may have to add a little additional buttermilk to the dough to make it soft.
• Make small cookies with the dough. You can make them in different shapes.
• Place the cookies on a cookie sheet topped with wax paper and let them bake till they are done, approximately 12 to 14 minutes, and are light brown in color.

Instead of making cookies, you can also choose to make a bread with the recipe. The only change will be to bake dough in one piece and after it cools down, either cut it into wedges or slices. The said bread can also be served with butter or jam. The other changes you can make to the recipe is to add a dash of cinnamon to the recipe.

One of my friends decorates the cookies with raisins, rather than adding them to the dough itself. Another variation that can be made to the recipe, if you are making the cookies for the kids, is to top them with a tiny dollop of jam. While making the cookies, you can also use a cookie cutter with shapes to make the cookies in different shapes.