Irish Caraway Crisps

Years ago Bob and I trekked to northern Canada in search of the Aurora Borealis. The solar flares that initiated our journey stopped as soon as we reached the border. Undeterred, we continued on, sure in our belief that they'd resume in a day or two. Needless to say our quest was unsuccessful. I can, however, report we had an awfully good time getting there - there being an Alaskan border town that wasn't even on the map. It was a wonderful adventure. Later, I recounted the trip with an Irish colleague who thought I was completely daft. As a child she was able to see the Northern Lights from her front stoop. That anyone would spend three weeks in the wilderness in search of something so ordinary truly baffled her. Bridie was a homemaker and far more domestic than I was at the time. She was very feminine - you'd never catch her in boots, a tent or an outhouse, but you could count on her to bring cakes and cookies for the staff to enjoy with coffee or tea. The caraway crisps were one of her favorites. I recently inherited a dog-eared copy of Maida Heatter's first cookbook and it contains a cookie very similar to Bridie's crisps. These cookies are not too sweet, wonderful with tea and very easy to make. If you're looking for something a bit different to satisfy your sweet tooth without causing sugar shock you might want to give these a try.

Irish Caraway Crisps

Ingredients:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ( 1 4-oz. stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon caraway seeds

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2) Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a small bowl. Set aside.
3) Place butter in bowl of an electric stand mixture and beat until soft enough to mix with sugar. Add sugar and beat well. Add egg and beat until incorporated. Gradually add dry ingredients; mix well.
4) Turn mixture onto a lightly floured work surface. Add caraway seeds and knead just until incorporated.
5) Wrap dough in plastic wrap. Place in freezer for 15 minutes. Transfer to refrigerator and let chill for 1 hour, or until mixture is firm enough to roll.
6) Lightly flour a work surface. Working with 1/3 of dough at a time, roll dough to 1/16 or 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with a 3-inch round cookie cutter; use a thin spatula to transfer cookies to an ungreased cookie sheet spacing them 1/2-inch apart. Scraps can be rerolled and cut.
7) Bake 13 to 15 minutes, or until cookies are lightly brown all over. Rotate pans in oven. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Store airtight. Yield: 30 to 36 cookies.

Recipe courtesy of Maida Heatter.

Hungarian Potato Bread with Caraway Seeds

Talk about nose! This bread sure has it. The bread is moist and heavy in texture, perfect for dunking into soup or stews. Its flavor improves with age and its tight texture makes for great toast. It cries for a great hunk of cheese to keep it company on the bread board. Its simple to make, though it does require some kneading. A great recipe to have on file for cold winter nights and soup suppers.

Hungarian Potato Bread with Caraway Seeds

Ingredients:
1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast
2-1/2 cups warm water, divided use
7-1/2 to 8 cups all-purpose flour + flour for kneading and dusting
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 cup unseasoned mashed potatoes

Directions:
1) Take off your rings. Place 1/2 cup water in a large bowl; add yeast and 3 tablespoons flour; whisk to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups warm water. Stir in salt and caraway seeds. Add 4 cups all-purpose flour and beat for about 100 strokes with a wooden spoon, or until mixture sheets on spoon. Stir in remainder of flour and mashed potatoes; mix well using a spoon or hands. Turn onto a floured surface and knead, adding flour as needed, for about 15 minutes, or until the dough is really elastic. Shape into a ball. Oil a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat all surfaces with oil. Let rise until double in bulk, 1 to 2 hours. Punch down and knead for about 5 minutes. Shape into a round loaf; place in a greased 12-inch ovenproof skillet and let rise for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
2) Move a rack to middle third of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush surface of loaf with water; use a razor to cut a 1/2-inch deep cross on the surface of loaf. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until brown and top sounds hollow when thumped. Dust top of bread with flour. Cool on a rack. Yield: 1 large loaf.

I'm sending this recipe to Susan at Wild Yeast who sponsors Yeast Spotting.

Potato Bread for Hannie

Mrs. C - Hannie - was born in Germany and was a whiz at replicating the flavors of the Rhine valley and the Balkans. What I know of bread and pastry making was learned in her kitchen and I know she'd really love this dark, slightly sour bread. My memories of Hannie range from the trivial - I proposed to her son, Jim, on my fourth birthday - to a wartime incident that marked my first steps away from childhood. To this day, I can vividly recall my mother and some of our neighbors kneeling in the street, scrubbing furiously, trying to erase the stain of a huge red swastika that had been painted on the curb outside Hannie's home. I remember Hannie crying. I remember how angry my mother was. Everyone on the block had been asked to help, but not everyone came. The genie escaped the bottle that day and we were never, any of us, quite the same again. I loved Hannie, but this atta girl is for my Mom and the other women who were on their hands and knees that day. Thank you for your example. Bless you all and know that you are remembered.

Seeded Potato Bread

Ingredients:
1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast
2-1/2 cups warm water, divided use
4 cups + 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour + flour for kneading and dusting
1-1/2 tablespoons salt
1-1/2 tablespoons caraway seeds
2 cups stone-ground whole wheat flour
1 cup rye flour
1 cup unseasoned mashed potatoes (instant potatoes without milk & butter O.K.)

Directions:
1) Take off your rings. Place 1/2 cup water in a large bowl; add yeast and 3 tablespoons flour; whisk to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups warm water. Stir in salt and caraway seeds. Add remaining 4 cups all-purpose flour and beat for about 100 strokes with a wooden spoon, or until mixture sheets on spoon. Stir in whole wheat flour, rye flour and mashed potatoes; mix well using a spoon or hands. Turn onto a floured surface and knead, adding flour as needed, for about 15 minutes, or until the dough is really elastic. Shape into a ball. Oil a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat all surfaces with oil. Let rise until double in bulk, 1 to 2 hours. Punch down and knead for about 5 minutes. Shape into a round loaf; place in a greased 12-inch ovenproof skillet and let rise for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
2) Move a rack to middle third of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush surface of loaf with water; use a razor to cut a 1/2-inch deep cross on the surface of loaf. Bake for 1 hour, or until brown and top sounds hollow when thumped. Dust top of bread with flour. Cool on a rack. Yield: 1 large loaf.