In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, a limerick:

There once was lady named Gabi
And waiting for bread to rise always made her crabby
She thought, “Maybe instead,
I’ll make Irish Soda Bread!”
So she did, and it wasn’t too shabby!

• ingredients
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling and for pan Pantry
• 2 tsp baking powder Pantry
• 1 teaspoon baking soda Pantry
• 1 tbsp sugar Pantry
• 1/2 teaspoon salt Pantry
• 4 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes $1 for a stick
• 1 egg, beaten $1.50 for 12
• 1 cup buttermilk $1.50 for a pint
• 1 chopped dried fruit of your choice (currants, raisins, apricots, dates) $3.50 for 8 oz.

Total Cost of Ingredients 7.50

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly flour a baking sheet and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Cut in butter with 2 forks until mixture resembles small peas.

Stir in egg, buttermilk and dried fruit to form a sticky dough

Shape into a ball and flatten slightly. Use a sharp knife to score the top a few times.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom.

Serve hot, cut into wedges, with“fresh butter”:http://brokeassgourmet.com/articles/fresh-butter.

Serves 4-6.