St. Patrick's Day Meal & Irish Apple Cake Dessert ~

First dessert ~

I'm always looking for something different to serve for St. Patrick's Day dessert.  This year I found and made a yummy Irish Apple Cake.
This very simple cake is made more like a pie though in flavor and texture similar to scones or shortcake. Very nice ~

Something I've been doing different with much of my baking is using a scale.  Weighing out your flour etc. is more accurate.  If your baked goods seem to be different every time you bake this might be why.  Scooping, spooning, leveling off and packing down - even types of flours you use all are different.  If you don't weigh it isn't hard to change recipe to regular measurements.

Irish Apple Cake
Ingredients Needed:
225g (8oz) or 2 cups Plain Flour
1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
110g (4oz) or 1 stick butter (1/4 pound)
125g (4-1/2 oz) 1/2 cup Caster Sugar
1 Farm fresh egg, beaten
50-120ml, (2-4 fl oz) milk
1-2 cooking apples
3 cloves (opt)
1 Farm fresh egg, beaten to glaze

To serve:
Barbados (muscovado) sugar - (I used dark brown)
Softly whipped cream (heavy cream)

For Dough:
Sift together flour and baking powder.
With pastry tool, knifes or hands rub butter into sifted flour as when making a pie dough, resembling breadcrumbs.
Add, 85g (3oz) of the caster sugar mix in to incorporate.  Make a well in the center lightly mixing in beaten egg and enough milk to form a soft dough.  Don't over knead and divide in two.
Put one half into a prepared oven proof plate and pat to the side as in first photo below.

Filling:
Add apples, I used fuji and chopped sprinkle on remaining caster sugar or taste depending on the tartness of apples - throw on cloves if you are using.

Now comes the harder part -
Roll out remaining dough but keep in mind very soft and will come apart.  I lightly floured counter and carefully rolled out dough.  I placed it over the apples and pulled carefully - pulling and pushing into place until I got close to edge.   I then brought up bottom dough and pushed onto top sealing.

Cut a slit into the top or make a small hole to let out steam.  Brush with the beaten egg and place in oven and baking in a moderate oven (350) for about 40 minutes.

Once out -

I sprinkled it little a with sugar then I slid it out onto a plate and "dredge" it with more Caster sugar.

Pretty - no - yes!

To serve, cut is slices and top with whipped topping.  Serves 6-8 depending on the slice.

* * * 

Corned Beef and Cabbage is so easy to make but for some reason we only seem to make it on St. Patrick's Day.  This year my husband and I found a Corned Beef Round.  As you can see much different than you regular brisket.

I can't remember the brand - my brother and I were texting pictures back and forth.  As you can see it's quite a piece of meat.  You make it the same way take out of package cover with water and cook about 50 minutes per pound (for the round).  If regular Corned Beef Brisket as package suggests.

I don't make it like "boiled dinner" where everything is cut up in the broth like a soup.  When the brisket is close to being done I then add - boiling potatoes and carrots about 30- 45 minutes and then add cabbage (halved and quartered) just steaming.

For serving I remove saving the broth to drizzle on top.  Slice the meat and serve.

Served with Farl - It made this Irishman happy ~

But don't forget dessert!