Glazed Irish Tea Cake

 
                        -----cake-----
   1 1/4  teaspoons     Baking powder
     3/4  cup           Unsalted butter -- room temper
     1/4  teaspoon      Salt
   1      cup           Sugar
   1      cup           Dried currants
   2      teaspoons     Vanilla
     2/3  cup           Buttermilk
   2      lg            Eggs
                        -----glaze-----
   3      ounces        Cream cheese -- room temperatu
     1/2  cup           Confectioners' sugar -- sifted
   1 3/4  cups          Cake flour
   2      teaspoons     Fresh lemon juice

PREHEAT OVEN TO 325F, with rack in center of oven. Generously grease a 9-inch (7-cup capacity) loaf pan. Dust with flour; tap pan over sink to discard excess flour. Cut piece of parchment paper or waxed paper to fit bottom of pan. Set aside. FOR CAKE, use mixer to cream butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating each until fluffy. Add cream cheese. Mix until well combined. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Put currants in small bowl. Add 1/4 cup of flour mixture to currants. Stir currants until well coated. Add remaining flour to batter, alternating with buttermilk. Mix until smooth. Use wooden spoon to stir in currants and all of the flour. Stir until well combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Smooth surface with spatula. Bake until well-browned and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour, 25 minutes.
Cake will crack on top. Let cake rest in pan for 10 minutes. Use flexible metal spatula to separate cake from sides of pan. Carefully remove cake from pan to cooling rack. Spread glaze on warm cake. Let cake cool completely. Cake can be stored 3 days at room temperature in foil. Cake can also be frozen up to 3 months, wrapped airtight.

 FOR GLAZE, combine sugar and lemon juice in small bowl. Stir until smooth.

 ABBY MANDEL - PRODIGY GUEST CHEFS COOKBOOK

Amazingly Easy Irish Soda Bread

"A good old fashioned soda bread with just the basic ingredients. Buttermilk gives this crusty loaf a good flavor. 

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 30 to 50 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.

Orange Zinger Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients:
***Crust***
6 graham crackers (whole)
vegetable oil spray
***Filling***
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces tofu (regular)
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 medium orange, juiced and zested

Directions:

Pour about 2 cups of water into slowcooker (1/2-inch) and place trivet or upside-down bowl into cooker. Cover with lid and turn onto high. 

Meanwhile, place graham crackers in food processor. Process into crumbs (you should have about 1 cup). Spray a 8-inch round cake pan with vegetable oil spray and place crumbs into bottom of pan, spreading them evenly across bottom. 

Stir together the water and cornstarch and place into blender jar. Add remaining filling ingredients, except the orange juice and zest. Blend for 1-2 minutes until creamy, scraping down sides of jar with spatula occasionally. When filling is creamy, add orange juice and zest and whiz for 3 seconds, until just incorporated. 

Pour filling on top of graham cracker crumb crust. Place pan on top of trivet, cover with lid and cook for 3 hours on HI. When time is up, remove lid, turn off slowcooker, and allow cake to cool for 30-60 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove cake pan and place in fridge to chill, 2-3 hours before serving.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Orange Zinger Cheesecake serves/makes 8

Cat Scan!

Irish Cream Pudding Parfaits with Oatmeal-Walnut Crunch

 Here's a few desserts for St. Patricks Day!



Ingredients for Crunch:
1        c. old-fashioned oats
3/4     c. all purpose flour
1/2     c. packed brown sugar
2        tsp. instant coffee crystals
1/4     tsp. ground allspice
1/4     tsp. salt
1/2     c. (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4     c. coarsely chopped walnuts
Ingredients for Pudding:
1-1/4  c. chilled whipping cream
12      tbsp. Irish Cream
3/4     c. packed brown sugar
6        large egg yolks
1/4     tsp. ground nutmeg
12      tbsp. dried currants
Preparation:
Crunch:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture forms moist clumps. Mix in walnuts. Sprinkle mixture onto rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp, occasionally stirring gently and leaving mixture in clumps, about 35 minutes. Cool completely. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight.)
Pudding:
Combine 3/4 cup cream, 6 tablespoons Irish cream, sugar, yolks and nutmeg in large metal bowl. Place over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Using electric mixer, beat until custard thickens and thermometer registers 160°F, about 8 minutes. Remove from over water and beat until cool, about 8 minutes. Mix in remaining 6 tablespoons Irish cream. Beat remaining 1/2 cup cream in medium bowl to medium peaks. Fold into custard. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
Layer 1/4 cup pudding, 1 tablespoon currants and 3 tablespoons crunch in each of six 12 ounce goblets; repeat layering 1 more time. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 hour.

Irish Mince Tartlets

1 lg. jar of mince pie filling (or other flavor pie filling)
2 recipes for 2-crust pies
1 beaten egg
Oven 450F
Roll out two crusts at a time. Cut into 4-inch circles with large biscuit cutter or tart cutter for as many pairs as will fit. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of the bottom crusts. With a pastry brush put egg around the edge to seal. Cut a slit or small hole in the top crust and place on top. Press down firmly and seal the edges. Brush with egg. Place the tartlets on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until crust is golden. Remove from oven and let cool completely on wire rack.
Repeat with second two pie crusts. Yield: about 20 tartlets

Irish Applesauce Spice Cake Fancies
Decorated for Christmas

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1       c. whole wheat flour
1       tsp. baking soda
1       tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4    tsp. ground allspice
1       c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2    c. margarine, softened
1-1/4 c. sweetened applesauce
2       eggs, beaten
1/3    c. light molasses
In a medium bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice; set aside.
In a large bowl, with electric mixer at medium speed, beat brown sugar and margarine until creamy. Add applesauce, eggs and molasses; beat until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended. Pour batter into 13 x 9 x 2 inch square pan lined with waxed paper. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and remove waxed paper. Cool completely.
Glaze:
5     c. powdered sugar
1/2  c. milk
1/2  tsp. vanilla extract
Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth and it lightly coats the back of a spoon.
Assembly:
Trim off 1/2 inch of each side of cooled cake. Measure and cut into 1-1/4 inch squares.
With a spoon, drizzle glaze over the tops and sides of each piece. Do this 3 times to be sure each piece is covered completely. Sprinkle the tops with assorted holiday sprinkles or decorate with red and green glaze. Let dry completely and store in an air tight container.