Michelle Darmody: Irish stout and chocolate buns and a fruit-filled soda bread 

Food brings us closer together and on this extra-long St Patrick's weekend I will be celebrating Irish food that is full of comfort and joy 

These stout and chocolate buns are easy and delicious 

This St Patrick's we have taken an extra day’s holiday, a day of remembrance, to reflect on the past few years and how they have affected our country. As times continue to be turbulent, baking can give us a chance to spend time in the warmth of the kitchen, to relax, or maybe to spend time with people we care about.

The fruity soda bread is quite satisfying to make. I love its simplicity and tend to cut it while still warm and spread a slice with some butter. This recipe includes orange zest and candied peel, which is a deviation from the norm, but it elevates the bread.

The apple cake is nice served with a dollop of cream whipped with some maple syrup. You can freeze slices of the cake or the raisin bread. The bread can then be toasted straight from the freezer.

The stout and chocolate buns are based on a recipe for a similar cake. The cake is usually topped with cream-cheese icing, which you can add to the buns if you wish, but the drizzle of ganache adds an extra chocolaty layer, which I like.

This weekend I will be sharing food with my family and hold those dearest close, in deep gratitude as well as reflection. Nothing brings us closer together than lovingly preparing food and then sharing a meal around the table.

Fruit-filled soda bread

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Delicious smeared with butter and jam, this is the perfect weekend breakfast

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 35 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Baking

Cuisine

 Irish

Ingredients

• 480g of plain white flour

• 200g wholemeal flour

• 1 tsp bread soda, sieved

• 2 generous pinches of sea salt

• 580mls buttermilk

• the zest of an orange

• 50g candied peel — optional

• 50g raisins

• 50g golden sultanas

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C.

2. Mix the flours, bread soda and salt together and make a well in the centre. Pour the buttermilk into the well and bring the dough together. Add in the fruit and zest and combine them well, then lightly kneading them into the dough.

3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and bring it together into a round shape. Place it onto a large flat baking tray and make a deep cross in the loaf. Bake for five minutes then turn down the oven to 190°C and continue baking for a further 30 minutes or until it is baked through.

Stout and chocolate buns

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Stout brings out the flavour of chocolate in these delicious cakes

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Baking

Cuisine

 Irish

Ingredients

• 75ml crème fraîche

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 250g soft butter

• 75g cocoa powder

• 300g golden caster sugar

• 250ml stout

• 2 ½ tsp of bread soda

• 275g plain flour

• For the ganache icing:

• 90mls cream

• 100g dark chocolate, broken into small even size pieces

• 10g butter

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a bun tin with 12 large bun cases.

2. Beat the crème fraîche and eggs together and set aside.

3. Place the butter, cocoa powder, sugar and stout into a saucepan over a low heat until the sugar is melted. Do not bring to a boil just gently heat.

4. Whisk the flour and bread soda into the batter then do the same with the egg mixture. Scoop the batter between the 12 bun cases.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes or until baked through. Once cool enough to handle, transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.

6. To make the ganache heat the cream until it is shivering then remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate pieces and the butter until the chocolate has melted. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes then drizzle it over the cold buns.