Recipe: Irish Soda Bread with Raisins

Jeanne Cluts has worked at Don Ayres for more than 10 years, and she also happens to be a pretty phenomenal cook! Every so often, Jeanne passes along one of her amazing recipes. Here, she shares a great recipe for Irish Soda Bread. "This is a great, quick and easy bread," Jeanne says. "Serve it with cornbread, beef and cabbage or Irish stew for St. Patrick's Day.

Ingredients
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 T. sugar
6 T. shortening
2/3 c. raisins
(brown, golden or mixed)
2 tsp. caraway
1 c. buttermilk

To prepare:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and sugar. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work the shortening into the flour until it becomes the consistency of small peas.

Stir in the raisins and caraway, and mix thoroughly. Gradually stir in the buttermilk (about a 1/4 c. at a time). Use only enough for the dough to come together. Knead the dough for one to two minutes.

Shape into a round loaf and place on a greased baking sheet. Cut an X on the top and over the sides of the loaf. Bake for 45 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a rack.