This one is hubby's favorite because of the sugar on the top and the lyrical name. -Grainlady Milo O'Sullivan's Currant-Nutmeg Soda Bread 3 c. all-purpose flour 1/4 c. granulated sugar 1 t. baking soda 1/4 t. each salt and nutmeg 1/4 c. unsalted butter 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 c. buttermilk 1/2 c. currants Additional sugar for sprinkling 1. Place rack in bottom third of oven. Heat oven to 425-degrees F. Have an ungreased cookie sheet ready. (Grainlady note: I cover it with a sheet of parchment paper.) 2. Put flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and nutmeg into a large bowl. Add butter and cut in with pastry blender or mix with fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in currants. Stir in buttermilk until a stiff dough forms. 3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead just enough to shape into a ball. Put smooth side up on cookie sheet. Pat into 7-inch round, slightly mounded. 4. Sprinkle with 2 t. sugar. With sharp knife, cut a deep cross in dough, slightly more than halfway through. 5. Bake 35-40 minutes until loaf is deep golden brown. Line a cooling rack with a linen or cotton dish towel (NOT a terrycloth towel). Place bread on towel. Cool 5-10 minutes, then fold towel loosely over loaf and cool completely. If you have some currants and buttermilk left, try this King Arthur recipe. Someone from the Garden Web posted it in 2009, sorry, I don't remember who, and I've made it many times since. Irish Soda Bread Muffins 1\-1/2 c. King Arthur Unbleached All\-Purpose Flour 3/4 c. King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour 2 t. baking powder 1/4 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt 1/3 c. granulated sugar 1\-1/2 c. currants 1/2 to 2 t. caraway seeds (to taste \- optional) 1 large egg 1 c. buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream 6 T. butter, melted; or 1/3 c. vegetable oil sparkling white sugar, for topping 1\. Preheat the oven to 400\-degrees F. Lightly grease a standard muffin pan; or line with papers, and grease the papers. 2\. In a medium\-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, currants and caraway seeds. 3\. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk and melted butter (or oil). 4\. Quickly and gently combine the dry and wet ingredients; honestly, this won't take more than a few stirs with a bowl scraper or large spoon. As soon as everything is evenly moistened, quit; further stirring will cause the muffins to be tough. 5\. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, filling the cups about 3/4 full; the stiff batter will look mounded in the cups. 6\. Bake the muffins for 20\-minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Tip the muffins in the pan, so their bottoms don't get soggy. Remove them from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a rack to cool. Serve them plain, or with butter and/or jam.

These two recipes are a bit different than traditional recipes. I made the Irish Soda Bread Muffins a year ago and broadcast them near and far on St. Patrick's Day, and they were a big hit. Someone (and I'm sorry I don't know who to credit the recipe to) posted it last year on the Cooking Forum - but many thanks for a great quick bread recipe. The last recipe I've made for many years and it is always a go-to recipe for our St. Patrick's Day HOOLEY (party). -Grainlady IRISH SODA BREAD MUFFINS (source: King Arthur Flour) 1-1/2 c. King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 3/4 c. King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour 2 t. baking powder 1/4 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt 1/3 c. granulated sugar 1-1/2 c. currants or raisins 1/2 to 2 t. caraway seeds, (to taste, or omit) 1 lg. egg 1-cup buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream 6 T. butter, melted (or 1/3 c. vegetable oil) sugar to sprinkle for topping 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin pan; or line with papers, and grease the papers. 2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, currants and caraway seeds. 3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk (or equivalent) and melted butter. 4. Quickly and gently combine the dry and wet ingredients. As soon as everything is evenly moistened, quit; further stirring will cause the muffins to be tough. 5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, filling the cups about 3/4 full; the stiff batter will look mounded in the cups. Sprinkle with sugar. 6. Bake the muffins for 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Tip the muffins in the pan, so their bottoms don't get soggy. Remove them from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a rack to cool. Serve them plain, or with butter and/or jam. (Hubby's favorite.) MILO O'SULLIVAN'S CURRANT\-NUTMEG SODA BREAD 3 c. all\-purpose flour 1/4 c. granulated sugar 1 t. baking soda 1/4 t. each salt and nutmeg 1/4 c. unsalted butter 1\-1/4 to 1\-1/2 c. buttermilk 1/2 c. currants Additional sugar for sprinkling. 1\. Place on rack in bottom third of oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Have an ungreased cookie sheet ready. 2\. Put flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and nutmeg into a large bowl. Add butter and cut in with pastry blender or mix with fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in currants. Stir in buttermilk until a stiff dough forms. 3\. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead just enough to shape into a ball. Put smooth side up on cookie sheet. Pat into 7\-inch round. 4\. Sprinkle with 2 t. sugar. With sharp knife, cut a deep cross in dough, slightly more than halfway through. 5\. Bake 35\-40 minutes until loaf is deep golden brown. Line a cooling rack with a linen or cotton dish towel. Place bread on towel. Cool 5\-10 minutes, then fold towel loosely over the loaf and cool completely.

CORRECTION...........2 tsp baking powder an its 60 minutes!!!!!!!!! SORRY I have my head loose this week

Just as sleeperblues shared, Aldi had a boxed mix, and it wouldn't surprise me if they move it to the clearance rack after this week - so get there fast if you want a boxed mix. Hubby's favorite is "Milo O'Sullivan's Currant-Nutmeg Soda Bread", but also manages to choke-down "Whole-Meal Irish Soda Bread". If St. Patrick's Day falls on a Friday or Saturday, we have a hooley (party) and I bake at least 3 or 4 kinds of soda bread. Our favorite is a traditional Irish scone "Oat Farls" (that's an "L" between the r and s, not a "T" ;-) and are similar to Scottish oatcakes. Thankfully, I managed to adapt it to a gluten-free version and that's what we had for breakfast on St. Patrick's Day. This King Arthur Flour recipe is also a favorite, and easy to make - and are best made with currents, not raisins. This recipe is especially good if you are feeding a lot of people, and it keeps better than soda bread. "Irish Soda Bread Muffins" http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/irish-soda-bread-muffins-recipe