raisin

Irish Soda Bread

Flour

Sugar

tsp Baking Soda

tbsp Baking Powder

Salt

Butter

Buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375.

Grease a baking sheet.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Add 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup buttermilk and egg to dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Flour work surface.

Turn out dough and knead briefly.

Shape dough into a round shape and place on prepared sheet.

Whisk together 1/4 cup melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk.

Brush loaf with buttermilk mixture.

Cut an X in the top of the loaf.

Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Brush with buttermilk mixture every 15 minutes or so while baking.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/xEiSlh1G.mp4

This is the best Irish Soda Bread Recipe you’ll serve at your kitchen table!

The "real" Irish soda bread consists simply of Irish wholemeal flour (equivalent to a coarse grind of our American whole wheat flour), baking soda, salt and buttermilk. At the other end of the spectrum is Americanized Irish soda bread, a white, sweet, cake-like confection filled with raisins or currants and caraway seeds. The version we print here is much closer to traditional Irish bread than to its American cousin; but the addition of some bread flour, an egg, butter, a bit of sugar, and some currants serve to lighten and tenderize this loaf just enough to make it especially enticing to most of us on this side of the ocean.

(276 grams) King Arthur Irish-Style Wholemeal Flour

(149 grams) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour

(35 grams) sugar

baking soda

salt

(99 grams) currants

(57 grams) butter cold cut into 8 pieces

(301 grams) buttermilk

(28 grams) butter

Marian Burros brought this cake to The Times in 1988, but election cakes are part of a rich tradition that predates the Republic. In May 1771, Ezekiel Williams submitted a bill to the Connecticut General Assembly for the cost of making the “cake for the election.”

Connecticut elections were held in early spring, and representatives gathered in the capital in May for the vote count. These Hartford election cakes were made to serve out-of-town lodgers.

“Every woman had her own recipe, but election cake is a specific type,” a Connecticut Historical Society researcher told The Times in 1983. “It was generally a yeast cake, to which was added spices and fruit such as raisins and citron and sometimes wine and brandy, depending on a household’s resources.”

Election Cake

160 milliliters warm water

(4 1/2 teaspoons 13 grams) active dry yeast

(470 grams) plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

unsalted butter

eggs, beaten

firmly packed light brown sugar

buttermilk

cinnamon

cloves

mace

nutmeg

raisins

110 grams chopped pecans

Pour the warm water into a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Stir, then let stand for 5 minutes to dissolve.

Add 1 cup/130 grams of the flour and beat until well blended. (The mixture will be quite stiff.) Add the butter and beat until smooth. Add the remaining 2 2/3 cups (340 grams) flour, plus the eggs, light brown sugar, buttermilk, baking soda, spices and salt; beat for 3 minutes.

In a small bowl, toss the raisins and pecans with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour until coated, then stir them into the batter until distributed.

Using butter, grease two 8 1/2 -by-4 1/2-inch loaf pans. Divide the batter evenly between both pans, then cover loosely with towel and let rest for 1 1/2 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center tests clean, about 1 hour or up to 1 1/4 hours. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving.

You need day-old rice to make this vibrant, springy pilaf recipe, but it’s worth planning ahead. The precooked rice gets super crisp before it’s tossed with soft feta, crunchy pistachios and snap peas, and jammy golden raisins. It’s a true study in textures.

Crispy Green Rice Pilaf

pistachios

cilantro, mint, basil, and/or dill

(or up to 3) serrano chile, stems removed, split lengthwise

lime juice

Tbsp. white miso

kosher salt,

extra-virgin olive oil

rice,

sugar snap peas

scallions

feta

golden raisins

peas

Bon Appétit

Preheat oven to 350°. Toast pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 5–8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.

Meanwhile, blend herbs, one of the chiles, lime juice, miso, ½ tsp. salt, and 2 Tbsp. water in a blender on high speed until well combined. Drizzle in ⅓ cup oil and continue to blend until sauce is very smooth. Taste sauce for heat; if it seems mild, add another chile or two. It should be slightly spicier than you’re comfortable with since it’s going to get mellowed out by everything that it’s tossed with. Season with salt if needed.

Heat remaining 3 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high until very hot. Add rice, pressing down with a spatula in a single layer to create as much contact with surface of pan as possible. Reduce heat to medium and cook, undisturbed, until rice is deep golden brown underneath, 6–8 minutes. Season with salt.

While rice cooks, thinly slice snap peas and scallions on a long diagonal and transfer to a medium bowl. Add pistachios, feta, and raisins and toss to combine.

Add fresh peas to rice and continue to cook over medium heat, tossing often, until peas are just cooked through, about 2 minutes.

Transfer rice mixture to bowl with vegetables and toss to combine. Drizzle in herb sauce, tossing again to coat well. Taste and season with salt if needed.

A simple combination of lentils, rice, and deeply caramelized onions, mujadara is made across the Middle East. It's comforting but not too rich and it's fresh and vegetarian without relying on many perishable ingredients. In other words, it's the perfect meal for the nights in between holiday parties. 

Mujadara

Kosher salt

lemon

onions

sugar

French green lentils

basmati rice

2¼ tsp. ground coriander, divided

2¼ tsp. ground cumin, divided

shallots, divided

parsley leaves

plain Greek yogurt

black pepper

This recipe is inspired by mujadara, a simple combination of lentils, rice, and onions that exists in various forms across the Middle East. It's comforting but not too rich, and it's fresh and vegetarian without relying on many perishable ingredients. In other words, it's the perfect meal for the nights in between holiday parties. The lemon-soaked raisins bring pops of brightness but are optional—use sour cherries in their place, or finish the dish with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses. And while green or brown lentils are the traditional choice in mujadara, we like French lentils (a.k.a. Le Puy) because they hold their shape. Lastly, we endorse store-bought fried shallots as a weeknight shortcut, but if you want to fry your own, be our guest.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, place ½ cup raisins in a small bowl. Squeeze in juice from one half of lemon and pour 1 Tbsp. very hot water over. This will plump them up. Stir to combine; set aside until ready to use.

Halve and peel 4 medium onions. Go ahead and suit up with some protective eyewear, if that’s necessary for you. Thinly slice onions into half-moons (you should have about 7 cups). This is a fair amount of slicing, but it’s almost the only knifework.

Caramelize the onions: Heat ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onions and stir to coat in oil. Season with salt, then reduce heat to low and cover skillet (use a baking sheet if you don’t have a lid). Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and translucent, about 15 minutes. In this step, the onions steam in the liquid they release, which ensures that they'll caramelize more evenly, with less chance of burning.

Uncover skillet and sprinkle onions with ½ tsp. sugar, which increases caramelization. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook onions, stirring frequently and reducing heat as needed, and adding 1 Tbsp. water to deglaze pan (that is, scrape up all those brown bits) if it’s getting too dry, until chocolatey-brown and reduced in size by about two-thirds, 35–40 minutes.

Meanwhile, add 1 cup French green lentils to boiling salted water. Stir so there are no sinkers or stickers, then cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still al dente, 20–25 minutes. Drain and set aside. Wipe pot dry.

As lentils cook, rinse the rice. The easiest way to do this is to place 1 cup basmati rice in a medium bowl, cover with cold water, swish rice with your hand, then dump out the water in a swift, fluid motion (the rice will stay at the bottom of the bowl!). Repeat twice. Set rice aside to drain in a fine-mesh sieve.

Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in same pot over medium-high until hot. Add ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, 2 tsp. ground coriander, and 2 tsp. ground cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant and a shade darker, about 30 seconds.

Add rice and 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton salt and stir to coat the rice in the spices, about 30 seconds. Pour in 1½ cups water and bring to a boil (it might happen almost immediately!). Reduce heat to lowest setting, cover with lentils in an even layer, and cover pot. Cook, undisturbed, until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and cover pot again.

Your onions should be caramelized by now! Add raisins (and any liquid in bowl) and stir to combine. Transfer onion mixture to pot with rice. Add half of fried shallots and juice from remaining lemon half. Stir to combine, season with salt, and keep covered until ready to use.

Now the finishing touches. Coarsely chop ½ cup parsley leaves with tender stems. Mix ½ cup plain Greek yogurt and remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ tsp. coriander, and ¼ tsp. cumin in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer mujadara to a platter. Top with parsley and remaining fried shallots. Serve with yogurt sauce alongside.

This traditional Italian holiday bread will stay fresh longer when it's made with an overnight starter.

Overnight Panettone

(85 grams) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

(just a pinch) instant yeast

(74 grams) cool water

all of the starter (above)

(269 grams) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

(57 grams) lukewarm water

eggs

(57 grams) butter

Fiori di Sicilia flavoring orange oil

SAF Gold instant yeast instant yeast

(67 grams) sugar

(85 grams) golden raisins

(64 grams) slivered dried apricots

cranberries

(71 grams) chopped dried pineapple

orange

We love homemade vinegar, but, yes, you can use supermarket stuff for this, and it will still be awesome.

Vinegar-Braised Chicken Legs

chicken legs (thigh and drumstick, about 3 pounds total)

olive oil

shiitake mushrooms

shallots, peeled, halved lengthwise

cinnamon sticks

ginger, peeled, thinly sliced

red chile, sliced

garlic cloves, crushed

star anise pods

chicken broth

red wine vinegar

soy sauce

brown sugar

chives (for serving)

Season chicken with salt. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or wide pot over medium-high. Cook chicken, skin side down, until skin is golden brown and very crisp, 10–12 minutes. Transfer chicken skin side up to a plate.

Add mushrooms, shallots, cinnamon, ginger, chile, garlic, and star anise to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots and garlic are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add broth, vinegar, raisins, soy sauce, and brown sugar and stir to dissolve sugar. Nestle chicken legs skin side up back into pot. Bring to a simmer and cook, lowering heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer, until chicken is very tender (knee joints should flex easily), 60–75 minutes.

Heat broiler. Transfer chicken to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Increase heat to medium-high and reduce braising liquid until thick enough to lightly coat a spoon, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, if needed.

Broil chicken legs just until skin is crisp again, 30–60 seconds. Transfer chicken to a serving platter and spoon braising liquid around it, topping with shallots and aromatic spices. Serve topped with chives.

Beet Chutney recipe | Epicurious.com

red onion

2-inch-diameter beet, peeled,

water

ginger

yellow mustard seeds

cumin seeds

A colorful platter of soft, grilled vegetables in a sweet and spicy sauce can be the centerpiece of a light summery meal; just add some creamy cheese for richness and crusty bread to round things out. This recipe is extremely adaptable. You mix and match the vegetables, increasing the amounts of your favorites (or the ones you can get your hands on), and skipping anything you don’t have. And if your grill is large enough, you can make several different kinds of vegetables at the same time. Just don’t crowd them so they cook evenly.

Sweet-And-Spicy Grilled Vegetables With Burrata

apricots

white wine vinegar or cider vinegar (or a combination)

fish sauce

red-pepper flakes

fine sea salt

bell peppers, quartered, stems and seeds removed

zucchini

eggplant,

yellow corn, shucked

asparagus,

cherry tomatoes,

mozzarella balls, or 2 cups fresh ricotta

Flaky sea salt and black pepper

Basil or mint leaves,

Crusty bread slices

Sweet-and-Spicy Grilled Vegetables With Burrata

Make the sauce: Put raisins or apricots in a small heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, honey, fish sauce or colatura (if using), red-pepper flakes and salt. Bring to a boil, then let simmer until the mixture reduces slightly, about 3 minutes. Immediately pour over the raisins and let cool. Taste and stir in a little more honey if the sauce is too harsh. (Sauce can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in the refrigerator.)

Prepare the vegetables: Oil the grill grate and light the grill. Have a serving platter at the ready.

Grill the peppers, zucchini, eggplant and corn directly on the grate, in batches if necessary, and turning them as needed. Move them around the grate so they cook evenly. Cook until they are lightly charred, watching them carefully, 5 to 12 minutes, depending on the vegetable.

To grill the mushrooms and asparagus, place them in a grilling basket if you have one, or put directly on the grill. (Arrange the asparagus perpendicular to the grates so they don’t fall through.) Grill, turning as needed, until charred all over, 6 to 10 minutes. Grill the cherry tomatoes, using the vine as a handle if possible, for 1 to 2 minutes, until they start to burst and char slightly. Transfer all the vegetables as they cook directly to the serving platter.

Add the cheese to the platter next to the vegetables. Immediately drizzle everything with some of the sauce, stirring it up to get the raisins, and with olive oil. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and pepper and scatter the herbs generously on top. Serve the extra sauce and the bread alongside for making crostini with some of the vegetables and more of the tangy sauce.

These oatmeal raisin cookies are just the way Grandma made them, except with butter instead of shortening! They're made with old-fashioned oats, brown sugar, and plenty of raisins. 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

(1/2 pound or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, OR 1 cup shortening

brown sugar, packed

vanilla extract

all-purpose flour

walnuts (optional)

oats

"How do you get them to not flatten like a pancake? Made these at work and everyone loved them. Now I’m making them again, however I don’t want them to be so flat!! I even turned the temp down to 335"

Preheat and prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two large cookie sheets or line with Silpat or parchment paper.

Combine the butter, sugar and eggs: In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add the brown sugar and white sugar, beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla extract.

Add the dry ingredients: Mix flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in medium bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture. Stir in the raisins and nuts. Stir in the oats.

Scoop out the dough onto sheets: Spoon out the dough by large tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie.

Bake the cookies: Bake until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Note that the cookies will seem underdone and lightly colored everywhere but the edges. That's okay, they will firm up as they cool.

Cool, transfer, and store: Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Then carefully remove them, using a metal spatula, to a wire rack. Cool completely. They will be quite soft until completely cooled. Store tightly covered.

"ALL I CAN SAY IS,  OH MY GOODNESS!!  SIMPLY ONE OF THE BEST IF NOT THE BEST OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIE THAT IVE MADE AND EATEN!  FOLLOWED THE RECIPE EXACT, EXCEPT I DID ADD CRANBERRIES AND USED CRISCO SHORTENING STICKS INSTEAD OF BUTTER. THE COOKIE HAD A CRISP EDGE THAT YOU TASTED WITH A CHEWINESS OF THE REST OF THE COOKIE!!  I WOULD HAVE GIVEN 10 STARS!  THANKS FOR SHARING A LITTLE HAPPINESS!  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!"

"I never thought I liked oatmeal raisin cookies but they’re my boyfriends favourite so I gave this recipe a try and I can’t believe how amazing they are! The only thing I change is using all brown sugar and I love the way they turn out"

"They were good, even though we cut down the sugars and salt by half to try to make them healthier. Even so they were super salty for us. Next time just use a pinch of salt."

"Really nice recipe.  I really only kept them in for 7-8 minutes to make sure they're chewy and not dry."

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