Irish soda bread (thing)

Irish Soda Bread is a thick, sweet bread that, like stollen, works best as breakfast or a dessert. Most Irish soda bread contains raisins, although variants call for other kinds of dried fruit or nuts. It's best if you butter it lightly and eat it with coffee, tea, milk, or orange juice. Oh, and if you're ever in eastern New Jersey, Delicious Orchards makes some of the best Irish Soda Bread on the planet.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder


• 1/4 cup butter
• 1-2 cups raisins
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda


• confectioners' sugar (if desired)

Sift together the first four ingredients; then cut in the butter with two knives or a pastry blender. Add the raisins, then add buttermilk, egg, and baking soda. Mix a little, then knead briefly. Put in a casserole dish, brush with egg yolk, and bake for one hour at 375 degrees. When done, cool on a wire rack; sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar if desired.