St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday this year and my plan is to stay close to home for a pared-down, laid-back sort of ‘celebration.’ A tipple of Bailey’s in my coffee while I do some cooking and baking is all the excitement currently on my agenda . . . but I am open to a nice surprise or some unexpected good fortune — to a little luck o’ the Irish!
The nicest part about St. Patrick’s Day is there are no expectations like there are for most other holidays. It is easy-breezy, light spirited — rainbows, leprechauns, good luck, good cheer — it is childlike in its commitment to being pure fun. I realize it is rooted in historical significance, but the day itself is wonderfully joyful.
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Wear something green, cook some cabbage and potatoes, bake some bread or green-sugar topped scones; that is generally my St. Patrick’s Day tradition.
If you have friends who appreciate their Irish heritage, you might have a party to attend, but otherwise, March seventeenth is nothing more than a good day to believe in magical happenings and happy accidents. It is a day to acknowledge what my friend calls “winks,” like when a coincidence leaves you with chill bumps because it feels like a direct message from the universe, or when you reach in the pocket of pants gone long unworn and find money.
I come from generations of masterful storytellers. These older family members of mine could paint vivid pictures as they spun yarns of leprechaun adventures. I could see their stories being played out in and among the piney woods at the edge of our yard. Pots of gold at the ends of rainbows and enchanting, top-hat wearing, whimsical creatures sprinkling laughter and luck on unsuspecting people; their tales brought a sense of joy and wonder to me that has lasted my entire lifetime. I lose sight some days and do not feel connected to the goodness I know is around me, but I can choose to remember when I think of them.
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Pretty much aligned with the vernal equinox, give or take a few days, St. Patrick’s Day lands just right on the calendar for a celebration. For me, early spring is when the new year really begins, when nature is waking up from winter, and we, the people, are ready to move more and do more after having been holed-up indoors during the cold, drabby weeks of the previous months.
Even if you have no desire to head out to a boisterous pub donning your green regalia, perhaps seeing the buds of the coming flowers ready to burst into being and all the bright new growth visible on the bushes and trees might be enough to get you in a fanciful mood. It might even inspire you to drink green tinted beer and dance to some lively fiddle music, but at the very least, I hope it is enough to nudge you away from the tedium of everyday life.
Irish Freckle Bread is a newer bake for me. It is a yeasted potato bread that ranges from slightly to moderately sweet and is “freckled” with dried fruit. Because it goes through two rises, it takes more time from start to finish than my quick Irish soda breads, but I enjoy the process. Some recipes call for a touch of cinnamon or even a light glaze to be spread over the top, but I prefer this one that does not overly commit to being sweet.
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Ingredients
1 small potato, peeled and quartered
1 cup currants (or raisins, dried cranberries or dried fruit of choice)
2 packages active dry yeast
2 eggs
1/2 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 ounces (8 tablespoons) butter, melted
4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
In a small, covered saucepan, cook potato in 1 cup of water for 10 to 15 minutes.
Mash potato in the cooking water and pour into a large measuring cup. Add additional water if necessary to make exactly 1 cup of combined mashed potato and water.
Stir currants into potatoe-water mixture and set aside to cool.
Combine flour, salt and 1/2 cup of sugar and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup of water heated to between 110F to 115F and sprinkle both packages of yeast and 1/2 tsp of sugar. Whisk or stir until dissolved.
Stir in potato-currant mixture and melted butter. Then mix in beaten eggs.
Add flour in thirds and incorporate well with each addition. You should end up with a stiff mixture.
On a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic.
Place in a large oiled bowl, turning to lightly coat, cover with a tea towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Oil two loaf pans and set aside
Remove, punch down, and knead a few times before dividing in half to form two loafs.
Place each into loaf pan, cover and allow to rise another 40-45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F
Bake loaves 35-40 minutes or until golden.
Turn out onto cooling rack once removed.
Cook's Notes
-Best way to measure ingredients, especially when baking: Get a kitchen scale! They are very inexpensive and will greatly improve your bakes. Measuring flour by volume, like in a cup measure, is not nearly as accurate as measuring by weight, and since baking is chemistry, the more accurately you can measure ingredients, the better!
Options for Freckle Bread:
-Add 1/2 -1 tsp cinnamon to other dry ingredients, and/or make a simple glaze to brush on top after removing from the oven.
-For a simple glaze, use a 6:1 ratio of powdered sugar to milk, plus a small dash of vanilla extract. Stir together well and spread over loaves of bread while still warm from the oven.
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