What is the first thing that comes to mind, when you think of Ireland? For most people, it will be a picture of emerald green Island, shamrocks, leprechauns, Riverdance, and, of course, Guinness beer. But what about bread?

A little bit of history

The known history of soda bread goes back to native Americans. In Ireland, it was Nicolas Leblanc, who developed the first-ever soda bread recipe. If only he knew that not only he created an amazing product, but potentially helped Irish people through some toughest times in their history. As a result, there are countless soda bread recipes, from very traditional “bread-like” versions to more modern ones, filled with cheddar, sweet berries, and chocolate.

Unfortunately, history does not specify, who’s the brilliant idea it was to combine soda bread with Guinness – the most iconic of Irish beers. Nonetheless, we will be forever grateful to that person, as they’ve created one of the most amazing items in history on baking – Guinness Soda Bread. It’s a perfect combination of toasty and lightly sweet notes, followed by hints of chocolate, coffee, and smoke, with the smooth chewy, almost caky texture of soda bread.

Why Guinness Soda Bread?

When I first traveled around Ireland back in 2018, I stopped for a bite in a small village up North, entered the only open pub, and that was the day when I tasted the most delicious Guinness bread of all times. It was truly unique, and many times after that I ordered Guinness bread in other places across the country – while they all were good, but they were not THAT ONE. After that, I got obsessed with the idea of re-creating the recipe, which will get me as close as possible to the taste and flavor, and probably even further. And, of course, when to do it, if not during the lockdown, right?

Therefore, playing with ingredients and spices, I finally got to the point where I was delighted with the result. This Guinness bread recipe has the best of both worlds – the texture of traditional soda bread, as well as rich notes of Guinness, chocolate, and coffee. Considering upcoming St. Patricks day, I am super happy to share this recipe with you – it has some tricks, but I promise you, you will be absolutely blown away with the result!

So, let’s get started…

Although it may seem like a lot of ingredients, trust me, all of them are key to create that special flavor I mentioned above.

PS In addition, if you’re looking for a perfect dessert – check out my White Chocolate and Cherry Brownies recipe.

Guinness Soda Bread Recipe

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Let's rock it! St. Patrick's day is over, but there is always time to make this iconic Guinness soda bread! Forget green cocktails and green desserts, make this best ever Guinness soda bread and enjoy a true taste of Ireland.

Ingredients

Syrup:

• 25 grams Brown Sugar
• 3 grams Instant Coffee
• 25 grams Water
• 25 grams Golden Syrup

Batter:

• 300 grams Wholemeal Flour
• 75 grams Plain Wheat Flour
• 20 grams Cocoa Powder
• 25 grams Melted Unsalted Butter
• 150 grams Chilled Guinness Beer
• 200 grams Milk
• 100 grams Treacle Syrup
• 3 grams Salt
• 8 grams Baking Soda
• 1 gram Nutmeg

Instructions

1. You start by preparing Coffee caramel syrup, which I used to boost the rich chocolate aroma of the bread. Mix sugar, syrup, coffee, and water in the pan. Cook on medium to high heat until syrup reaches 106 °C. Use a cooking thermometer to ensure you don't overcook your syrup. Keep mixing throughout to avoid syrup burning. Once ready - leave it to cool down.
2. Your next step is to weigh up the rest of the ingredients. Put all dry components into the bowl (2 flours, cocoa powder, salt, soda, nutmeg), and combine them with a whisk, so that they get evenly distributed.
3. Then, add your liquid components one-by-one: melted butter, milk, Guinness, treacle syrup, and pre-made Coffee caramel syrup.
4. The last step will be to carefully mix them with a spatula or a spoon, until smooth and even. Place your batter into the baking tin. I like to generously grease it with vegetable oil or baking spray. This helps the bread will not get burned to the sides of the tin.
5. Bake at 160°C/320 °F for ~50-60 min (w/o fan). Check readiness with a wooden stick or by tapping the loaf with your hand - if you hear a hollow sound, then it's ready.

Notes

One last tip, If you want the flawless top of your loaf. Grease your fingertips in vegetable oil and then dip gently into the center of your batter, as if you are making a line. This creates a nice even crack at the top of the bread, instead of random cracks on the sides. It's totally optional, your bread will still look and taste great without it.

Calories

171

7.1%

Fat

2

3.1%

Saturated

2

10%

Carbs

30

10%

Protein

6

Fiber

3

12%

Sugar

6

Sodium

275

11%

Cholesterol

5

1.7%

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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The spring is in the air, with rays of sunshine glimpsing through the clouds and birds cheering outside. At this time of the year, I love making something sweet and delicious for my soul, and as a reminder that warm sunny days are around the corner.

What do you know about Cherry Blondies Brownies? I always get asked, if those are real brownies or something else? Simply, the main difference between a blondie and a brownie is the choice of chocolate. Unlike well-known chocolate brownies – blondies are made with white chocolate to indulge in rich vanilla flavor and sweet buttery notes.  And my favorite thing about them is that your imagination can go crazy with add-ins: chocolate chips, berries, nuts, spices, etc.

I spent quite some time trying to create a simple, but delicious blondie recipe, using the very best ingredients and all my favorite add-ins. The one I am going to propose today is easy to make and it turns out great every time – I really hope you will love it and it becomes your go-to Brownies too. I am proud to introduce you to my very special White Chocolate and Cherry Brownies.

PS Make sure you also check out my very special Carrot cake cookies.

Shall we start?

I always start with pre-weighing all the ingredients, so I am not distracted during the process. Best to use kitchen scales and be as precise as you can when you prep for baking – you’ll save yourself time and effort, and I promise you – you will get almost everything right the first time. The rest is quite straightforward

White Chocolate and Cherry Brownies Recipe

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6 ratings

A quick and simple recipe to make for your tea time or serve as a dessert at your party - you will not be disappointed!

Ingredients

Batter:

• 85 grams Plain Flour
• 2 grams Table Salt
• 140 grams Unsalted butter
• 180 grams White Chocolate
• 2 Medium Eggs
• 90 grams White Sugar

Add-in:

• 140 grams Glazed Cherry

Instructions

1. Mix flour with 1/4 of sugar and salt
2. In a separate bowl start whisking eggs with the rest of the sugar until it starts making small bubbles as a sign, it's aerated. Best to use eggs when they are at room temperature, so you are avoiding quick thickening of fat & chocolate during the next stage.
3. Melt your butter in the microwave using heat resistant bowl. To make this easier - chop your butter into small pieces. I normally do it in 3 stages each at 30 s (800 W) and mixing with a spatula in between. Once melted - leave it aside and melt chocolate, in the same way, using a separate bowl. Combine butter and chocolate and mix well until it is smooth.
4. Now it's time to add butter/chocolate mixture into the bowl where we have eggs and sugar. Just mix it with a spatula until well combined, and then add dry ingredients, while gently mixing it aiming to get a smooth batter with no lumps.
5. The very last thing is your add-ins. As I said, in this recipe, I am using glazed cherries from the shop. Just drop them into your batter and gently combine together with a spatula.
6. Now, when your brownie batter is ready to be baked, place it in the preheated oven and bake with no fan for 30-40 min at 160 °C/320 °F. Please, note, that you may need to change your baking time if your tin is different in size. For this recipe, I used 18cm paper tin (7 inches).  Use a wooden stick to check if it is ready -  it should come out dry.

Notes

Once out of the oven – let it cool. My family loves our blondies chilled in the fridge overnight.

Calories

345

14%

Fat

25

38%

Saturated

13

65%

Carbs

28

9.3%

Protein

4

Sugar

20

Sodium

16

0.7%

Cholesterol

75

25%

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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