In Perked Up, I gave the task of making the Irish soda bread to Vee, one of the two bakers in our story. In the real world, the recipe comes from my husband's sister's husband's mother (got it?), Marie Kent. Though it sounds like a distant relationship, Marie and I attended holiday gatherings, weddings, showers, graduation parties, and funerals together for years, outliers in my husband's huge Italian-American family. Marie was fiercely proud of her Irish heritage and never understood how she ended up in a family that drank gallons of coffee instead of tea. She is greatly missed.
Makes one loaf
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Work in butter with your hands until the mixture has the consistency of cornmeal.
Add raisins.
Whisk eggs and milk together, stir into dry mixture to blend.
Knead for two minutes.
Pat into a lightly oiled 9-inch cake pan.
Bake approximately one hour until crust is golden and toothpick comes out clean.
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