Irish Soda Bread

I have wanted to try making Irish Soda Bread for quite some time, and I decided St. Patrick's Day would be the perfect time. But that was a no go, work got in the way that day! So today was the day.......Irish Soda Bread at last!! I have to admit, I had no idea what to expect, I had never eated it, never made it and had never used caraway seeds......but I LOVED it! It is very much like a slightly sweet biscuit or scone, I put a little honey butter on a slice and it went great with our homemade fried chicken. I think next time I might roll and cut it like biscuits, instead of doing the loaf. Also, Steve was not crazy about the caraway seeds, it can be made without them. You can also substitute dried cherries or cranberries for the raisins.

3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 T baking soada
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
4 T butter
2t caraway seeds
1 cup raisins
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combime flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt and stir well to mix.

Add butter and cut in until the size of small peas.

Stir in the caraway seeds and raisins.

In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg together and mix inot the dough with a rubber spatula.

Turn the dough out on to a floured work surface, knead and fold it over onto it's self several times. Shape into a round loaf and transfer to a greased cookie sheet. Cut a cross into the top of the loaf.

Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 and cook an additional 20 minutes or until nicely browed and a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool bread on a rack and serve warm with honey butter or butter and orange marmalade.