Orange Currant Scones

Scones are typically served with strawberry jam and clotted cream, but these Irish Orange Currant scones have a lovely schmear of Marmalade Butter and I'm here for it! 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup currants

1 orange, zested and juiced

2 1/4 cups flour

2 tsps baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup cold butter

3/4 cup buttermilk (or milk with 2 tsps vinegar added)

1 egg

Marmalade Butter:

8 tbsps soft butter

2 tbsps orange marmalade

2 tsps liquid honey 

Zest the orange into a bowl with the currants. Juice the orange and add water enough to measure 1 cup with the juice. Bring the juice/water to a boil in a small saucepan then pour over the currants and orange zest. Let soak for 30 minutes. Strain and set in fridge to cool. 

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar together. Grate the cold butter over the dry mixture and stir to thoroughly coat all the butter. Fold in the cooled and drained currants.

Whisk milk and egg together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the milk/egg in. Using a wooden spoon, mix to combine to a shaggy ball.

On a floured surface knead just until it comes together. Don't over-handle or the butter will start to melt and you don't want that. The bits of butter are what will give you the flaky scone layers.

Press, using your hands, to make a rectangle that's about 2/3" thick. Flour counter and hands and fold the dough in half, make a quarter turn and press out to 2/3" thick again, repeating the fold and turn 2 or 3 times. Flour a 2" round cutter. Press straight down, don't twist, again to preserve those precious flaky layers.

Lift the cut scones and place then nearly touching each other on a parchment lined baking sheet. Gather the cuttings, press together and form the rest of the scones. You should end up with 10-12 scones. Chill in fridge for 15 minutes.

Brush tops with milk and bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes. 

Let cool 5 minutes.

While waiting for them to cool combine the marmalade butter ingredients so you'll be ready to slather it on!

Of course you can stick with tradition and have them with strawberry jam but....

Adapted from: Irish Soda Bread Scones thelemonapron.com

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Dark Fudgy Guinness Bread

In keeping with this week's theme of adding Guinness to everything in order to make it Irish...

1  1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda 
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder (yep I went there!)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown
1 cup Guinness
1 egg
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

White chocolate melting discs to garnish
green food colouring (concentrated paste)

In a large bowl mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and chili powder together.

The original recipe called for 1/4 tsp of pepper but I thought I'd kick it up a notch with chili powder. It doesn't make the bread spicy, but simply gives your mouth a slightly warm feeling. Set the dry ingredients aside.

Beat butter and brown sugar in a large mixer bowl until fluffy, add egg and then beer.  Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then another 1/3. When combined add the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix well.

Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Spray a 9 X 5" loaf pan with cooking oil and pour the batter in.

Bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes. Cake tester should come out clean. Cool 10-15 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Melt a few chocolate wafers in the microwave for 20-30 seconds on high. Stir in a drop or 2 of vegetable oil and drizzle over cooled bread.

If you want add a little green for St Patty's Day!

Slight adaptation from original Bailey's Dark Chocolate Guinness Bread at HomemadeHooplah.com 

Ultimate Guinness Stout Brownies

Ooey gooey goodness in a pan..

1 cup flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1 tbsp instant coffee granules

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup Guinness stout
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

1/4 cup chocolate chips

Mix the flour, cocoa and coffee granules together and set aside.

In a large bowl mix the oil, melted butter, stout, sugar, vanilla and eggs together. Add the flour mixture, combining well.

Grease a 9 X 9" baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Pour in the batter and sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Bake in a 350F oven for 40-45 minutes.

Cool completely and cut into squares.