Green Onion and Cheddar Soda Bread... Is the Mayhem Really Over?

June…hem?  Just doesn’t have the same ring, does it?  Well, May might be over, but things will continue to be a bit shaken up around here.  I will continue to be homeless for probably at least another two weeks.  Not a lot of gourmet cooking going on in a hotel, even if it does have a kitchen.  So, to help me out, Seeley and I will be switching our post dates next week.  She’ll be posting on Friday the 10th, and I’ll be posting on Tuesday the 14th. 

In more exciting news, we have a fabulous guest who will be posting on Friday, June 17th.  Gemma Halliday will be paying us a visit to celebrate her latest release, Hollywood Confessions.  Yes, I mean THAT Gemma Halliday!  How awesome is that?  She’ll be sharing a recipe and cooking story with us, so stick around for the fun.  In the meantime, You can check her out here. 

Ok, that ends the news portion of this post, we now return to your regularly scheduled programming.  Green onion and cheddar soda bread.  Ever prepare a meal that could really use a slice of bread or a roll, but you don’t have the time or energy for making yeast bread?  Soda bread to the rescue.  It’s quick, easy, and delicious.  Add green onions and extra sharp cheddar to the mix, and it’s even more fabulous.  So, let’s get started on it. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
8 ounces extra sharp cheddar
½ green onion, thinly sliced
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
1 large egg

In a mixing bowl, sift or whisk together all the dry ingredients.  Cut your butter into small cubes and throw them into the flour. 

Mix on medium-low speed until it looks a bit like this:

If you don’t have a stand mixer, feel free to use pastry blender, two knives, or even your fingers.  Throw in the cheese and green onions.  As you can see, I used a very large grater for the cheese.  Regular graters are fine, or you can cut very small cubes.  Either way, mix it into the flour mixture until evenly distributed.   

Measure your buttermilk and then crack in the egg. 

Oops, I forgot about the pan.  Butter the bottom and sides of a square glass pan, and preheat your oven to 375°. 

Now, mix together the egg and buttermilk and pour them over the dry ingredients. 

Mix just until it comes together into a sticky mess, er… mass.

Scrape it from the bowl and plop it into your prepared pan. 

Wet your fingers and press it evenly into the pan.

Into the oven for 40 – 45 minutes.  The top will be a beautiful golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean. 

Allow it to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack.  Allow it to sit for at least another 20 minutes before you give into the temptation to cut yourself a big hunk.  It’ll help it stay together when you do cut it. 

Enjoy with butter or as a side for chili or any dinner.  Or simply nibble on it just the way it is. 

Stay tuned for more details about Gemma’s upcoming visit!   

Pancakes with Homemade Blueberry Syrup - No Mayhem?

That’s right, pancakes.  I know, it seems like something so basic, but you wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve seen thin, rubbery discs served with maple flavored corn syrup.  Pancakes should be soft and fluffy, and nothing beats homemade fruit syrup. 

Let’s start with the syrup.  I like to make it the night before so that it has plenty of time to cool.  It is so simple to make your own syrup, I don’t know why no one does it.  It takes only three ingredients and probably 20 minutes or less. 

So, here’s what you need. 

1 heaping cup blueberries
¾ cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon butter (optional)

Yes, I know I said three ingredients, and there are four listed, but the butter is not strictly necessary.  Its only purpose is to prevent foam.  Either fresh or frozen blueberries will work just fine for this.  I had a big bag of frozen ones, so that’s what I used.  If you use frozen, you’ll need time for them to thaw before making the syrup.  Once you have a heaping cup of thawed blueberries, throw them into the blender with 1 tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice.  Blend until smooth. 

Pour the puree into a sauce pan and add the sugar. 

You’ll notice my sugar always looks a bit off white.  That’s because I always use organic sugar, and it’s less refined.  Anyway, stir in the sugar and add the butter. 

Turn the burner to medium heat and stir constantly until it comes to a boil.  Allow it to boil for about 2 minutes.  The bubbles will start to kind of stack up on top of each other like this:

That’s it.  You’ve successfully made blueberry syrup!  Just pour it into a glass container and allow it to cool.  Be careful, though, mixtures like this are VERY hot. 

Now onto the pancakes. 

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar

I know your first question will be do I have to use buttermilk?  Yes, you do.  Regular milk will not produce the same results.  You can apparently add vinegar to regular milk to simulate buttermilk, but the idea squicks me out a bit, so if you want to do that, you’ll have to google it yourself. 

Ok, pancakes.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl (or measuring cup) whisk together the wet ingredients.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk briefly.  You just want to get everything thoroughly combined.  A few remaining lumps will be fine. 

I like to use a griddle so that I can make several pancakes at once, but a pan will work just fine.  Using a paper towel, butter the griddle. 

Wipe most of the butter off so you can just barely see it on the surface. 

When the griddle reaches 350° you’re ready to cook.  If you're using a pan, you can test the temperature with a drop of water.  It should start to sizzle as soon as it touches the pan.  If it just sits there, the pan isn’t hot enough.  If it skips right off the surface, it’s too hot.  Pour your batter for whatever size pancakes you want. 

I think I used about ⅓ cup of batter for each one.

Allow them to cook until you see bubbles on top and the edges start to look dry. 

Now’s the time to flip.  Cook them for a couple more minutes.  They should be golden brown on both sides and should spring back if you press lightly on the surface. 

Stack them up and drizzle them with your fabulous blueberry syrup. 

Fluffy, tender, delicious.