Irish Rainbow Cookies for St. Patrick's Day

This is the cookie I cannot resist.

We all have something like this. Maybe for you it's cupcakes. You go crazy for cupcakes. You'll stand in line for a tiny cake with a pretty swirl and a sprinkle of something. You daydream. You doodle. This sentence is already making you crave them.

Or frozen yogurt. You love it. You think about it and immediately HAVE. TO. HAVE. IT. You leave your desk at work in the middle of the day to walk to the shop around the corner for a cool, frosty scoop. Actually, you're getting up right now, aren't you?

Girl Scout Cookies are big, I know. I don't like them. I will never understand them. But I know that they are pretty major. People buy them by the lot and stockpile them in the freezer to enjoy during the off-season.

I don't get the cookies, but I understand the desire.

(BTW, did you ever hear this amazing story about Ryan Gosling and Girl Scout Cookies? That man...my goodness!)

My thing? My weakness? Italian Rainbow Cookies. (Some call them Venetian cookies; some call them layer cookies. You know what I mean.)

I've been obsessed with these since I was a child growing up in New Jersey, climbing up onto a chair to fish them out of the Italian bakery assorted cookie tray. I'd grab as many as I could, then run off to enjoy them in peace.

Back in 2008, I actually started a Rainbow Cookie business, selling dozens upon dozens of my signature Rainbow Cookies in a number of different flavors and colors, as well as my Italian Rainbow Cookie Cake -- a full cake-sized version of the cookie that I created to satisfy my own childhood fantasies.

It was a hit. The people loved my rainbow cookies. The orders rolled in.

"BEST RAINBOW COOKIES EVER!" they still say. I occasionally would try other bakery's cookies and think to myself, "nope...nowhere near as good as mine!"

But...it was exhausting. Juggling a full-time job and a full-time baking business meant that I was getting no sleep and that my fingers were permanently dyed red and green like some kind of weird Christmas elf. One of the boys I dated around that time mentioned that I always smelled a little bit like sugar and almonds.

I soon started to hate rainbow cookies, so I stopped. Life is too short to spend it doing things you don't absolutely love.

I still occasionally, happily, come out of retirement for a few select clients, but other than that...no mas.

That said, for holidays and for my friends? I'm on it. The pleasure is back.

For my St. Patrick's Day party this year, I decided to pull out the shades of green for an Irish twist on the NYC classic. Moist, dense, little almond cake layers sandwiched with apricot jam and topped with a crackling layer of semisweet chocolate.

Crazy bright beauty for your eyes and your mouth.

And despite the fact that I'm meant to be in a bikini on a Mexican beach in less than 48 hours, I confess that I've been slipping into the kitchen at all hours of the night for just one more bite.

Sometimes two.

I just can't help it. They're my thing.

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Irish Rainbow Cookie Recipe (St. Patrick's Day Italian Rainbow Cookie Recipe)
Depending how you cut them, this makes between 20-40 cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
1 cup granulated white sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
8oz almond paste, grated (this is flexible--you can use between 6-10oz with same results)
1 tablespoon pure almond extract
Zest of one whole lemon
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
green, blue, and yellow liquid food coloring
1 cup apricot preserves
12oz semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three 9" square baking pans with parchment paper. You can also just do one layer at a time if you don't have multiple pans.

Cream butter and sugar in the base of a mixer for 5 minutes until very light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat for 3 more minutes. Add almond paste, extract, and lemon, and beat for 2-3 more minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt, and mix into the wet ingredients until completely combined. Divide batter into three bowls.

Dye one bowl a bright shade of green by adding about 1 teaspoon of green food coloring.

Dye the second bowl a bright lime green by first dying it bright yellow then slowing mixing in a few drops of blue until you get the desired shade.

Dye the third bowl a pastel shade of green (about 1/2 teaspoon of color) then add a couple drops of blue to get the final shade.

Spread each bowl of batter into one of the prepared pans, then bake for about 9 to 12 minutes, or until edges are a bit golden and middle is set. Transfer to cooling racks and cool completely.

To assemble: lay the darkest shade of green down then top with 1/2 cup of apricot jam. Top with the medium shade, then add the rest of the jam. Top with the lime green layer. Wrap with plastic and cover with a heavy book or pan. Let chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours (or overnight).

Place the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and microwave for 1 minute or until melted, stirring until smooth. Pour over the layered cake and spread evenly. Let chill in the fridge for one hour, or until set. Cut into 1" pieces and serve.

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Stuffed Irish Shepherd's Pie Potatoes

From the minute I decided I was hosting a St. Patrick's Day party, I became obsessed with the idea of Stuffed Shepherd's Pie Potatoes. I was envisioning those smallish Idaho potatoes baked and scooped out, then filled with savory ground lamb and a generous pile of super creamy mashed potatoes on top.

The final dish came out pretty much exactly as I had planned, but I do admit it was a bit more labor-intensive than I initially anticipated.


Not hard at all—just several steps. It all becomes much easier if you divide the process into two days. I recommend making the filling and the mashed potatoes one or two days in advance, then finish them up the day of the party.


And the BEST part of this is you can make a huge batch of these as they keep incredibly well and can be for easy lunches and dinners all week! Multiply the recipe below and you'll be all set!

Stuffed Shepherd's Pie Potatoes
Makes 12, multiply as necessary

Ingredients

For the filling:
2 tablespoons butter
2 large yellow onions, diced
3 large carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds ground lamb (substitute all or part ground beef if you'd like)
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

For the mashed potatoes:
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
kosher salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
black pepper

To complete the dish:
12 Idaho potatoes
1/2 grated cheddar cheese
Olive oil

Directions
Prepare the filling:
In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and sautee for 5 minutes, until the onions are transluscent. Add the garlic and lamb and cook until all the meat is browned. Season with kosher salt and black pepper, then sprinkle with the flour and stir to coat. Pour int the beef stock, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and add the fresh rosemary. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover, and let cook for about 15 minutes until sauce thickens. Remove the rosemary sprigs and stir in the frozen peas and fresh parsley. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Then remove from heat and let cool completely (can be chilled in fridge overnight).

Prepare the mashed potatoes: Cut potatoes into large chunks and combine in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil then lower heat and let cook for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely tender. Turn off heat, drain immediately, then return potatoes to the pot to rest for 10 minutes (this will help them dry out a bit). Use a potato ricer or masher to mash the potatoes right in the pot. Add the milk, cream, and butter, and continue to stir and mash until completely smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then let cool completely (can be chilled in fridge overnight).

The day you are serving:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash the Idaho potatoes and then use a knife to slice off about 1/4 of the potato lengthwise--almost like removing a lid. Coat lightly with vegetable or olive oil and arrange in a baking dish, cut side up. Bake about 1 hour, or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, then use a spoon to scoop out potato centers to make a hollow potato with thick sides. (Reserve leftover potato for other dishes.)

Fill each potato to the top with the lamb filling. Top with a generous layer of the mashed potatoes on top. Arrange in baking dish again. Sprinkle with cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Return to oven and bake for 25 minutes, until filling is hot and potatoes are heated through and golden on top (you can also turn on the broiler for the last few minutes to create the golden crust.)

Serve immediately.

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Inspired Entertaining: A Stylish St. Patrick's Day Brunch

I don't know about you, but the typical green beer + pub crawl + shamrocks on everything style of celebrating St. Patrick's Day has never really been my thing.

But I LOVE Irish food--and any excuse for a party--so this year I decided to give St. Paddy's a bit of an Alejandra-style makeover with a little help from the folks at Kerrygold and Teleflora.

On Saturday afternoon, I invited a few good friends over for a stylish St. Patrick's Day brunch at home and photographed the day to share with you. Below is a collection of party inspiration, St. Patrick's Day recipes, and entertaining ideas for you to use when planning your own event!

How it works

• Scroll down to view the photos and click through to check out the individual recipes (a couple are yet to be posted, but they'll be up shortly). 
• If you click on any photo, you should be able to view them all "slideshow" style. 

This is part of a new editorial series here on Always Order Dessert, and I have several more like this in the works. Please let me know below if you enjoy it!

My Inspiration Board

Dress: Old Navy, Necklace: C. Wonder, Flatware: West Elm, Flowers: Teleflora, Dog sweater: Casual Canine

 


The Menu:

The idea for my St. Patrick's Day menu was all about modern twists on classic Irish recipes. My guests arrived to find a spread of sliced sharp Irish cheese, sweet Kerrygold pastured butter, and two kinds of homemade soda bread:

• White Caraway Irish Soda Bread Muffins and 
• Brown Bran Irish Soda Bread.

I offered two signature St. Patrick's Day cocktails for the event:

• Black Velvet (equal parts Guinness and prosecco), and a 
• Green Whiskey Smash, which is my own invention based on a 19th century bar punch.

The latter is a refreshing muddled cocktail with fresh mint, cucumber, and limeade, which can be served on the rocks or in a large punch bowl for your guests to help themselves. It's a great, natural way to serve up a little green.

Colcannon--mashed potatoes with cream, butter and vegetables like kale or cabbage--is one of my favorite Irish dishes, and though typically served during Irish Halloween celebrations, I decided to use it to create a fun appetizer for my brunch. I fried little crisp colcannon cakes that I served topped with a dollop of yogurt and salty smoked salmon.

The main course for the day was a twist on the classic Irish Shepherd's Pie--Stuffed Shepherd's Pie Potatoes! I hollowed out baked potatoes and filled them with a savory ground lamb and veggie filling. I topped this off with buttery mashed potatoes and a sprinkle of grated cheese, then popped it under the broiler.

To balance out the heartiness of the dish, I served a simple arugula salad with a Mustard Vinaigrette dressing.

Recipes:

• Colcannon Cakes with Smoked Salmon
• Shepherd's Pie Stuffed Potatoes
• Mustard Vinaigrette

It should come as no surprise that I was most excited about dessert. I served two treats--the first a twist on my signature Italian Rainbow Cookies, which I appropriately called Irish Rainbow Cookies! 

Moist green rainbow almond cake layers with lemony apricot jam and dark chocolate on top. Sort of an extreme use of food coloring, but I think perfectly appropriate for the occasion!

Recipe: 

• Irish Rainbow Cookies

The second dessert is a version of my favorite no-bake pots de creme. I made these with dark chocolate and Guinness, and served them in little white espresso cups--a perfect sweet bite to end a rich meal!

Recipe:

• Dark Chocolate Guinness Pots de Creme

St. Patrick's Day Decor
I kept the decorations simple with an elegant Irish color palate of kelly green, gold, and white.

Flowers are my favorite way to dress up a table, so I contacted the folks at Teleflora.com who sent over two of their best St. Patrick's Day themed floral arrangements--the Luck o' the Irish (pictured in the intro photo) and the St. Patrick's Day-zies, pictured below.

I love the way daisies make it suddenly feel sunny and Spring-like (even when it's 20 degrees and snowing outside!).

I asked my guests to come wearing green, and we even got Hudson in on the action with his own little matching sweater. After dessert, we sat around sipping our cocktails and playing a hysterical round of Celebrity, my favorite parlor game.

Floral arrangements courtesy of Teleflora.com. Kerrygold provided coupons for free Kerrygold butter and cheese samples. All opinions, recipes, and ideas are (of course!) my own.

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!

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Colcannon Cakes with Smoked Salmon (Fried Mashed Potato Cakes)

When I was in culinary school in Florence, I took a class called "Regional European Cuisine," in which we worked our way through the traditional dishes of various European countries. It was one of my favorite classes, and a nice break from my mostly Italian program.

One of my favorite dishes from the Irish chapter of the class was Colcannon--a traditional dish of rich, creamy mashed potatoes mixed with cooked kale or cabbage. This dish was a revelation, and one that I ended up recreating often back in my apartment during this financially lean years. 

(I specify financially lean because ca diet of potatoes and butter does not an otherwise lean girl keep.)

Though traditionally thought of as a Halloween dish in Ireland, I decided to use it to create an appetizer for my St. Patrick's Day party, turning the already delicious on it's own colcannon into crisp colcannon cakes (basically fried mashed potatoes!). I served these topped with cool, tangy yogurt and a piece of smoked salmon.

Eugene, a fan of all things potato and cured fish, was in Heaven! 

Note: If you have leftover mashed potatoes, you can skip ahead and just mash these up with the veggie of your choice to make the colcannon cakes. Though not traditional, this also works with cooked carrots, peas, or just about any leftover veggie. I'm sure bits of bacon or ham would also be fantastic! Oh and sweet potatoes instead of the regular kind would be killer. 

Click here for more St. Patrick's Day recipes and ideas! 

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!  

Colcannon Cakes with Smoked Salmon
Make about 10 cakes, depending on size

Ingredients
3 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and boiled until tender
6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked chopped kale or cabbage (spinach or other greens would also work)
1 large egg
1 cup all purpose flour
Coconut oil or vegetable oil, for frying
For serving: Greek yogurt or sour cream, smoked salmon

Directions
Mash the boiled potatoes with butter and cream until smooth. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Mix in the cooked kale or cabbage and the egg, stirring to evenly distribute. Cover and let chill in refrigerator at least one hour or overnight.

When ready to cook, place flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to shape the chilled potato mixture into round patties, and pat into the flour, coating on all sides. Repeat with rest of potato mixture.

Coat a heavy nonstick skillet with a layer of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Fry the patties in batches, 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and heated through. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

To serve, top each cake with a dollop of yogurt and a piece of smoked salmon.

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Dark Chocolate Guinness Pots de Creme (No bake recipe)

This no-bake Pot de Creme is my absolute favorite dinner party recipe. I've shared a version of it on the blog before, but I'm particularly excited about this new twist, made with Guinness for a deep and fruity treat that's absolutely perfect for St. Patrick's Day (and beyond!).

The trick to this is that the recipe is made almost entirely in a blender with just a minute or two of heating on the stove-top. It literally takes 5 minutes to prep, and then you just pop it in the fridge and let it set into a thick, rich little chocolate dessert, somewhere between pudding and mousse.

You can make this a day or two in advance, leaving you with plenty of time to prepare for your guests. I love serving this in little espresso cups; I find that it's the perfect sized portion after a long, heavy meal. 

 Click here for more easy St. Patrick's Day recipe ideas!

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for readin

Dark Chocolate Guinness Pots de Creme
Serves 8

Ingredients

1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup Guinness Extra Stout
2 cups (12oz) semisweet chocolate chips
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Whipped cream, for serving

Directions
Prepare 8 small ramekins or espresso cups by lining up on a cookie sheet (for easier handling). Combine heavy cream, Guinness, and vanilla in a medium saucepan over low heat and let simmer just until small bubbles start to form on the sides. Remove from heat.

In a blender, combine the chocolate chips, eggs, and salt and blend for 1 minute until the chocolate is completely chopped. Pour in the hot cream mixture, cover and blend again for 2-3 minutes, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is thick and silky. 

Divide mixture into espresso cups or ramekins, cover with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.

Serve topped with whipped cream. 

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Green Whiskey Smash

What was your first cocktail? Not the one you used to sip when your parents weren't looking, but the first cocktail you ever ordered at a proper bar?

Mine was a Whiskey Sour. I was about 16 and out with my cousin and some of her friends at a bar in Puerto Rico. By this point, I'd had plenty of wine and sangria--both of which my dad always let me drink along with the family when we had dinner at Spanish restaurants. There was nothing intimidating about wine to me, but...a cocktail?

That felt so...adult.

And so when my cousin's handsome friend (with whom I'd been flirting all evening and would certainly kiss before the night was through) asked me what I wanted to drink, I blurted out the only cocktail I could think of:

A Whiskey Sour.

I chose it because I had remembered my mom telling me stories about how that was her cocktail of choice when she was in her twenties. She said it was sweet and tasted like lemonade, both of which sounded good to me.

I was unfortunately not as prepared for the follow-up question. "What whiskey?"

"Um..." I looked up at my companion who gallantly stepped in and chose for me.

I had that first cocktail in mind when I worked out the second signature cocktail for my St. Patrick's Day party. I wanted something a bit sweet and a bit sour that would be refreshing and work well in a punch bowl.

While doing research, I came across a recipe for Shamrock Punch, which was based on a 19th century bar punch made with mint, borage (a cucumber-flavored herb native to the UK) and lime sherbet--essentially the UK name for a citrus simple syrup.

I decided to reinvent this as a muddled cocktail and so I present to you, my Green Whiskey Smash.

Click here for more Irish inspired St. Patrick's Day recipes!

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading

Green Whiskey Smash
Serves 1
 
Ingredients
1/2 lime, cut into small wedges
1/4 cup diced cucumber
5 sprigs fresh mint, plus more for garnish
Ice
2 ounces whiskey
4 ounces cold limeade (I like Newman's or Simply Limeade)

Directions
Combine the lime, cucumber and mint in the bottom of a glass and muddle to release the juices. Fill the glass with ice and pour in whiskey. Top off with limeade. Garnish with fresh mint and a wedge of lime or cucumber wheel.

Can also be multiplied and served as a punch.

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Black Velvet (Guinness Champagne Cocktail)

I'm going to give it to you straight. I'm one of "those girls" who just doesn't like beer. Oh, I've had my moments with it (stories for another time), but for the most part, I'd prefer a cocktail--or even just a glass of water--to a beer.

But while planning my St. Patrick's Day party, I knew that I couldn't really get away with not serving it. And so, I brought home a few six packs of Guinness and tried to figure out a way to make it work.

That's when I came across the Black Velvet cocktail--a simple 50/50 mix of Guinness and bubbly (Prosecco, in my case, though Champagne is of course also lovely).

Now that is definitely my style.

I served it at the party, and it was a surprising hit. The bubbles mellow out the beer and final drink comes across as somewhat refreshing, and even a bit fruity.

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!

 

Black Velvet Cocktail
Serves 1, multiply as necessary

Ingredients
Guinness Extra Stout
Champagne or Prosecco

Directions
Pour the Guinness slowly into a Champagne flute or wine glass until it reaches half-way. Fill the rest of the glass with the Champagne. Serve.

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Brown Bran Irish Soda Bread

I have long been obsessed with the idea of hearty, nutty wholesome breads. Dark brown crumbly loaves, best served warm with salted butter and bowl of something equally hearty and brown.

I suppose I blame it on a nerdy childhood spent sitting on the sidelines (literally) reading stories about drafty castles, wild, windy moors, and resourceful street urchins. Truly a far cry from my shiny, temperature-controlled suburban upbringing, which is perhaps why I was so fascinated.

I had these stories in mind when I developed this Irish soda bread recipe, and it's exactly what I wanted all those years ago: sturdy and a little bit crumbly, with sweetness from molasses and bran.

I love it warm with thickly spread butter.

"Tooth butter," which my friend Kristine recently explained to me is a Danish term for the correct way to spread butter--thick enough to leave teeth marks in it. (Don't you just love that?!)

If you enjoy wheat breads, I encourage you to give this one a try. It's an easy quick bread (no yeast required!) and the whole process takes just about an hour. It's a great weeknight bread!

Click here for more St. Patrick's Day recipes!

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!
 

Brown Bran Irish Soda Bread
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat bran (Available at Whole Foods or online at nuts.com)
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

In the base of an electric mixer, combine the flours, bran, molasses, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined. Mix in the diced butter.

In a separate container, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. While the mixer is on slow, pour in the buttermilk mixture and let mix on the lowest setting until completely combined and the dough starts to pull away from the sides. (The dough will be very sticky.)

Dust flour on a counter and turn out the dough. Knead for a few minutes and form into a loaf. Place on the prepared baking sheet and use a wet chef's knife to slash with a cross on top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack.

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Caraway Irish Soda Bread Muffins

Growing up in a town that was about 50% Irish, soda bread from the local bakery was always one of my favorite treats. The dense, slightly sweet loaf was usually sold with icing on top and studded through with currants. My dad would buy it and serve toasted slices of it loaded up with good butter.

Soda bread in its original form was a far cry from the sweet, scone-like delicacies we eat in the United States today. Real soda bread was a peasant dish made from simple ingredients--flour, buttermilk leftover from the butter churn, and bread soda. It was a plain bread meant to be served with stew or salted butter. It was only on special occasions that women would add extras like raisins, an egg if they had one on hand, or a bit of sugar.

This recipe is for a very basic Irish American-style soda bread, flavored with caraway seeds, lemon zest, and a bit of sugar. I make this one in a muffin tin, and the result is individual little scone-like muffins that are perfect for serving with warm Irish butter or sharp cheddar cheese. I served this at my St. Patrick's Day brunch along with Kerrygold butter and cheddar, and it was a hit with all of my guests.

Note that this produces a very sticky dough. When you're making muffins, it's easiest and quickest if you use an ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the dough into the tins.

Note: The bread can also be made as one very large loaf; simply increase the cooking time to 45 minutes and slash a cross in the center to help it cook through properly.

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!

Caraway Irish Soda Bread Muffins
Makes about 18 soda bread muffins. Adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten.

Ingredients
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
zest of 1 lemon
1 3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons caraway seeds

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 2 muffin tins.

In the base of an electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined. Mix in the bugger and lemon zest.

In a separate container, whisk together the buttermilk eggs and caraway seeds. While the mixer is on slow, pour in the buttermilk mixture and let mix on the lowest setting until completely combined and the dough starts to pull away from the sides. (The dough will be very sticky.)

Use an ice cream scoop or spoon to divide the mixture into the muffin tins until it reaches the top of each opening. This makes about 18 muffins.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack.

Note: The bread can also be made as one very large loaf; simply increase the cooking time to 45 minutes and slash a cross in the center to help it cook through properly.

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