St. Patrick's Day Irish Soda Bread

I love celebrating St. Patrick's day.  As a kid, I would always look forward to wearing my green to school (in hopes to not get pinched!).  I loved the special meal my mom would make for us that included corned beef, cabbage and potatoes.  I still look forward to this meal all year long!  But I also LOVE the Irish Soda Bread that my mom made growing up that goes along with the meal.  This is a very simple bread that takes just under an hour total to make.  

First, put all the dry ingredients in the bowl and whisk together.  Add the butter in chunks and use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into little pea sizes.

Mix together the egg and buttermilk and and add along with the currents, to the dry ingredients.  Then take it to a floured surface to knead for 3 minutes.  Once the dough is no longer sticky, cut the dough in half.

Form them into two round loaves.  Cut a cross in the center.  If you want your bread to have a nice browned top, paint buttermilk over the top with a pastry brush.  Place in a preheated oven set to 375 and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Let me know how you liked it!  Enjoy!

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Ingredients

4 cups flour

1 t. salt

1 T. baking powder

1 t. soda

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

2 cups currents (or raisins)

1 egg

1 3/4 cup buttermilk

Valentine's Day LOVE Notes

I usually dread this holiday as another year that has passed where I am alone... wishing I would have flowers waiting for me at home or a special night out to look forward to.  This year, for some reason, I'm not feeling those same feelings. 

I'm not sure why exactly. I do know that God is definitely working on me to be content with where my life is at in the present.  And to be thankful for how He has blessed me.  I'm realizing more and more that life is short. That I am called to live a purposeful life; using the gifts He has given me. And to love those who He has brought into my life.

For years, my family has been creating and exchanging Valentine cards with one another and I haven't really thought much about it.  As I've grown older, I see how special that really is.  It's not that there is something particularly special about this day but, that it serves as a good reminder to us that we are called to LOVE one another. This has become a small way that we can share how much each other means.  A handwritten message says so much more that a cutesy card just can't.

I would encourage you to take the time this week to tell someone you love them... in handwritten words, gifts, or actions.

Valentine's Day can be so much more than the commercialized romantic holiday that it is portrayed as.

"Love is patient and kind. Love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

LOVE never fails."  

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

Happy Valentine's Day!

Christmas Danish Puff

Sharing our families favorite Christmas morning breakfast. This has been our tradition for as long as I can remember and we look forward to it every year!

Danish Puff 

(recipe adapted from Betty Crocker 1969)

1/2 cup butter softened

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoon water

1/2 cup butter

1 cup water

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup all purpose flour

3 eggs

Sliced Almonds

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the 1/2 cup butter into 1 cup flour.  Sprinkle 2 T water over mixture and mix. Round into ball and divide in half.  On an ungreased baking sheet, pat each half into a strip 12x3 inches.  They should be about 3 inches apart.

Heat 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan.  Remove from heat and quickly stir in almond extract and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Beat in eggs, all at once, until smooth and glossy.

Divide in half, spread each half evenly over each strip.  Bake about 60 minutes or until topping is crisp and brown. Cool.  Frost with glaze (below) and sprinkle generously with nuts.

Glaze
Mix 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons butter (softened), 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1-2 tablespoons warm water until smooth.

Enjoy!

A Merry Little Christmas Photo Shoot

This past week we did a fun little Holiday Photo shoot with my dad's '53 Ford red pick up truck and my good friend Kelly of Kelamelia Photography.  For the sweets we had chocolate sugar cookie sandwich cookies filled with buttercream and chocolate cupcakes with candied cranberries.  The cake was a tall tiered rustic cake with gold embellishment. 

We hope you all had a very blessed Christmas with your loved ones.  

Merry Christmas from Delicately Sweet Confections!

Christmas Cookie Boxes

Our Christmas Cookie Boxes are now on sale till December 18th!  Let Delicately Sweet Confections bake for you this Holiday Season. These boxes are perfect for your next holiday gathering or can be a great gift idea.  Each large box includes two dozen cookies. 6 Cranberry Orange Coconut Chews, 6 Ginger Molasses cookies, 6 Sugar Cookie sandwiches and 6 mini Dark Chocolate Pecan tarts. We also offer a small box which holds one dozen cookies.  Each box is tied with a festive ribbon and comes with a to/from tag for easy gift giving.  

Email us at delicatelysweet@gmail.com to pre-order yours today!

2 dozen Cookie Box - $36

1 dozen Cookie Box - $18

 Pick Up dates: 12/5, 12/12 and 12/19

Tis the Season of Gift Giving!

An Intimate Boat House Wedding

We had the privilege of creating the Cupcake Tower for Katie and Joe's intimate wedding on Lake Union this past August.  What a beautiful setting it was!  From the very beginning, Katie and Joe were so sweet to work with.  After our initial tasting, they stopped by our markets to try out more of our cupcake flavors.  In the end, they went with Red Velvet, Black and White, Coconut, Chocolate Peanut butter, Hummingbird and German Chocolate.  Below are photos of their beautiful day documented by the talented Sasha of Sasha Reiko Photography.

Congratulations to you both!

Venue: The College Club on Lake Union

Floral Design: Elizabeth Designs

Desserts: Delicately Sweet Confections

Photography: Sasha Reiko Photography