Scottish recipes

[Nighthawk]

Hello, my new group of friends. I have a question- I have asked by my very Catholic parents to represent the family at the Thanksgiving Day mass. To make this thread kilt related, I would like to point out that I will be wearing my black Stewart kilt, tie and plaid to the mass. The thing I need, though, is recipes for Scottish or Irish breads. Any ideas? Thanks for any help you can give!

[auld argonian]

I've heard tell of deep fried Mars bars....

Best

AA

[TheKiltedWonder]

I've got a good recipe for Irish Soda Bread around somewhere. Irish Soda Bread a bit conventional, but I always find it tasty. Or are you looking for a more loaf kind of bread? I've got some recipes for those lying around in a closet; I can look for one with a celtic flair if you like. What kind of bread are you looking for?

P.S. What would your very Catholic parents say if they knew you didn't capitalize "Mass"?

[Arlen]

Scottish Bannocks:

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup Crisco(You could use bear grease or oolichan grease)
1/2 cup water to make a thick dough
Additional shortening to grease the pan

Directions:
Mix the dry ingredients together well. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender. Mix in the water and knead until the dough is very smooth, about 15 minutes. You can do this in much less time with a powerful electric mixer such as a KitchenAid. Grease a black frying pan, including the sides, and press the dough into the pan. Bake on top of the stove over low heat. Watch carefully so that the bread does not brown or burn before the center is cooked. When the bread is free from the pan, turn the loaf over and continue to cook. The total cooking time will be about 10 minutes on each side.





Irish Wheaten Bread:


Ingredients:

350g strong wholemeal flour
175g strong plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2x284ml cartons buttermilk or natural yogurt

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200oC/400oF/Gas Mark 6. Butter a baking tray or 2x450g loaf tins or 900g tin
Sift the wholemeal and plain flours, the salt and the bicarbonate of soda together into a large bowl.
Add any bran left behind in the sieve from the wholemeal flour to the bowl and stir well.
Mixing quickly, add sufficient buttermilk - approximately 500ml - to form a soft dough. Be careful not to over-kneed the dough of yo loaf will be chewy.
Shape the dough into a round and place on the baking tray, pressing it down lightly, or shape and place in the tin. Sprinkle with a little extra wholemeal flour for a nuttier top, if you wish.
Cook at the top of the oven for 30 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180oC/350oF/Gas Mark 4 and cook for 20-30 minutes more (or about 10-15 minutes for 2 small loaves).
Remove when risen and crusty on the surface and hollow-sounding when tapped on the base. Cool on a wire rack. This is best eaten fresh but will keep, wrapped in foil, for 2-3 days.
Variations - why not add a little something......

Savoury Sage and Onion
SAute 1 large onion, finely chopped, and 1x20g pack fresh sage in 25g butter until softened. Cool and add to the dry ingredients with 1/2 tsp ground black pepper and mix as above.
Fruity Apricot
Add 50g muscovado sugar and 250g chopped, dried apricots to the dry ingredients and mix as above.

Guinness
Add 50g muscovado sugar and use just 1 carton buttermilk mixed with 150ml Guinness to the dry ingredients. Mix as above.



And, you could always do Scottish Potato Scones:


POTATO SCONES.

Ingredients.

2 ounces flour.
1 half pound mashed potatoes.
1 half ounce butter.
1 pinch salt.
Some milk to bind.

Directions.

Grease a frying pan. Mash the potatoes together with the butter and milk. Add the salt and a little of the flour, mixing until the dough is fairly firm. Sprinkle your work surface with flour then roll the dough to about one quarter inch in size. Using a 4 inch pastry cutter make as many circles as you can. You should get at least six.


Cook for a couple of minutes at medium heat until the underside is brown. Flip and do the other side.

[Nighthawk]

I've got a good recipe for Irish Soda Bread around somewhere. Irish Soda Bread a bit conventional, but I always find it tasty. Or are you looking for a more loaf kind of bread? I've got some recipes for those lying around in a closet; I can look for one with a celtic flair if you like. What kind of bread are you looking for?

P.S. What would your very Catholic parents say if they knew you didn't capitalize "Mass"?

Doesn't matter. I'll just pick the one that sounds like it will taste the best. And my mom would be a little irritated. My dad would just chalk it up to his crazy pagan son being a pain again.

And Arlen- thanks!! Those are some great ones!