Posted on EvilShenanigans.com on 6/19/09

Is there anything more comforting than the smell of warm cinnamon rolls?  If there is, I can't think of it right now.

While I love the traditional cinnamon roll, and believe me I do, I thought it would be fun to take my cinnamon roll dough and make it into a swirled loaf.  I tried that very thing with my regular recipe and it was a disaster.  The buttery filling left the bread wet and the eggs and fat in the dough left the center of the loaf gooey in the center.  Gooey in a bad way.  Not tasty.

So, I changed the recipe by reducing the amount of filling, the number of eggs and the fat in the dough.  The resulting bread was soft, fluffy, tender, and perfect for toasting and buttering for breakfast!

If you have any left that is past the freshness prime you can cube it up and use it in bread pudding.  I can't tell you how good that was! 

Cinnamon Roll Bread   Yield 1 10" loaf and 6 cinnamon rolls

1/3 cup water, (warmed, 110F)
2 teaspoons dry active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, warmed
1/4 cup sugar
1egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups white bread flour

Filling:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves

Glaze:

4 tablespoons melted butter, cooled
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk

Combine water, sugar and yeast. Allow to activate until frothy, about 10 minutes.

   In the bowl of an electric mixer with dough hook, add the yeast mixture, buttermilk, egg, melted butter, flour and salt.  Mil on second speed for three minutes, then check the hydration.  The dough should be lightly sticky but not cling to the fingers.  Adjust as necessary adding additional white flour or water. 

Mix on medium high speed for eight minutes, then remove from the bowl and round the dough, making it into a smooth round ball.   Put the dough into a greased bowl and cover.  Allow to rise until the dough doubles in volume, about 60 to 90 minutes.

While the dough rises prepare the filling by mixing the butter, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves until well blended.  Cover and set aside.

Once risen, remove the dough from the bowl and, on a well floured board, press out the air with the palm of your hand.  Stretch the dough until it is the size of a half sheet pan (18″ x 15″).  Spread the filling evenly over the dough then, starting on the short side, carefully roll the dough into a log. 

Measure the dough to 9 1/2″ and cut it.  Place into a greased 10" loaf pan.  Slice the remaining dough into six pieces and pace into a greased 9″ cake pan.   

Cover with greased plastic and allow to rise for 40 minutes, or until the dough is doubled, about an hour. 

Preheat oven to 375F while bread rises.

Bake the loaf for 45 minutes or until it is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.   The rolls bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and the bread is pulling away from the sides of the pan.

While the rolls cool prepare the icing by mixing the butter, powdered sugar, and milk until smooth.  Once the cinnamon rolls have cooled ten minutes cover them with as much icing as desired.  

Eat warm.  

Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.  Wait at least an hour before slicing.

Posted on EvilShenanigans.com on 6/12/09

I have been on something of a pizza kick lately, and not those commercially prepared pies with flavorless cheese and mushy veggies.

I can directly pin-point when this all started.  It began at the Mushroom Council lunch when Chef Kent Rathburn made us a grilled mushroom pizza.  I knew in that moment that I would be making a pizza with grilled mushrooms.  This is the result.

I used mushrooms that were available at the grocery store, portobello and white button, and added some red pepper for extra flavor.  I will say this, grilling mushrooms is an easy way to add a soft smoky flavor and meaty texture to a pizza, and it may be the only way I do it from now on!

I decided that instead of sauce I would just put diced tomato on my pizza, and along with some lovely fresh mozzarella cheese I would add some creamy ricotta.  Of course, I added some pepperoni.  It is my favorite topping.  I'm not ashamed to admit it either.

The crust is homemade, and I decided almost at the last minute to add about 1/4 cup of my sourdough starter to it.  The starter added a nice tangy bite to the crust, which has a crisp exterior and a soft interior.  If you do not have any starter do not fear.  It is entirely optional, and the crust is still beautiful with out it.

Grilled Mushroom and Ricotta Pizza on Sourdough Wheat Crust   Serves 4-6

Sourdough Wheat Crust:
1 cup water heated to 95F
2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup sourdough starter, optional
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white bread flour
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the bowl
1 teaspoon salt

Grilled Mushrooms and Peppers:
1 pound portobello mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 pound white button mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

Other Toppings:
Ricotta cheese
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
Diced tomatoes
Pepperoni
Fresh oregano, minced
Fresh Basil

Prepare a sponge by combining the water, yeast, starter, sugar, honey, and what flour in a bowl.  Stir to combine and allow to sit covered, at room temperature, for ten minutes.  The sponge may not be terribly foamy or bubbly.

To the sponge add the remaining ingredients and mix with the dough hook on low speed for 3 minutes. Adjust the hydration as needed (the dough should be tacky but not cling too much to your fingers).  Increase the speed to medium and mix for 8 minutes.   Remove the dough from the bowl and form it into a ball on a lightly floured surface.

Transfer to a bowl coated with olive oil, turn once to coat, and proof for two hours, covered, at room temperature.  After the initial proof, degas the dough and store, covered well, in the refrigerator for 24 hours, or up to three days. 

Pull the dough an hour before you are ready to bake it.  While the dough warms up prepare your toppings and heat your oven to 500F with a pizza stone on the bottom rack, if you have one.  

With the flat of a knife crush two large garlic cloves.  Mix them with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Add the sliced mushrooms and bell pepper strips and allow sit five minutes.

Transfer to a perforated grill pan and cook, over a very hot grill, until starting to soften, about five to ten minutes.  Transfer to a bowl to cool slightly.

Divide the dough into two large or four small balls and, using your hands, stretch it into a thin circle.  

Transfer the dough to a pizza peel that has been dusted generously with corn meal.  Top the pizza with a thin layer of ricotta, diced tomatoes, oregano, mozzarella, pepperoni, and the grilled mushrooms and peppers.

Cook the pizza for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is crisp and brown and the cheese has melted and begun to brown as well.

Allow the pizza to rest for five minutes before slicing.  Top with torn fresh basil.

Enjoy!

Posted on 5/26/09 at evilshenanigans.com

Do you impulse buy?

I do.   My impulse buys are most often food related.  Last week I discovered a really great local cheese shop in Dallas and I could not help but go in and shop.  I got some terribly expensive, and very tasty, sea salt caramels, some disappointing dark chocolate, and two superb cheeses.  One was a sharp cheddar made in Texas, and the other was a raw milk Gouda, also made in Texas.

The cheddar has been easy to use in sandwiches, egg dishes and such.  The Gouda was different.  I had picked it on impulse with no plan for it.  So, I had a think and decided to add it to some cornbread along with some extra spices, and some left over buttermilk.

The texture is soft and creamy, there is a slight smokey flavor followed by a gentle spice, and it is some of the best cornbread I have ever had.

Chipotle Gouda Cornbread  Yield 18 muffins or 1 - 9″ round loaf

5 oz all-purpose Flour
5 oz corm meal
1 1/2 oz sugar
.5 oz baking powder
.75 oz non-fat dry milk
4 oz Gouda cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon dry chipotle powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 egg, beaten
9 oz buttermilk
.5 oz honey or corn syrup
6 oz butter, melted

Heat the oven to 350 F and spray a 12-cup muffin pan, or a 9″ cake pan, with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl mix the flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder, non-fat dry milk, and spices until well combined.  Add the cheese and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl mix the egg, milk, honey or corn syrup, and butter. 

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the went into it.  Fold the mixture gently, mixing until the dry ingredients are just moist.  Do not over-mix.

Scoop into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup half way with batter, or pour the patter into the prepared cake pan.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes for muffins, or 25 to 30 for the cake pan.

Allow to cool in the pan for 3 minutes before turning out of the pan.

Serve immediately.

Posted on www.evilshenanigans.com on 4/17/2009

Often when I make dinner I skip any kind of bread item.  It isn't that I don't like bread with dinner, on the contrary I love bread with every meal, but I usually forget to make or buy bread and so we skip it.  I justify it by thinking of all the calories I am missing.

However, sometimes I remember the bread and when I do I usually make these biscuits.  They take five minutes to prep and get into the oven, they bake in 15 minutes and, if you have left-overs, they keep pretty well for a second meal - just reheat them in a 325 F oven for ten minutes. 

These biscuits are perfect for a homey meal, and they are good for when you have company for dinner.  During the week they are not a chore to get into the oven, and you can easily double the recipe for a large gathering with little additional effort.

For the most part I am a traditional flaky biscuit kind of gal, and I will post a recipe for traditional cut-out biscuits one day, but these fluffy cheese streaked biscuits hold a special place in my heart because they are quick and delicious.

Garlic Cheese Drop Biscuits     Yield 12

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
1 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Heat the oven to 350 F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Blend the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and garlic powder into a large bowl.

With your fingers, blend the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse sand with pea sized lumps of butter in it.  Stir in the shredded cheeses.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the buttermilk in.  With a spoon, gently mix until the dry ingredients are just moist.  Do not overmix.

Scoop the biscuits onto the parchment line sheet (roughly 1/3 cup - I used a large disher) and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.   The tops will be pale, but the bottoms will be lightly golden brown.

Brush the tops with the melted butter and place under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the tops become golden.

Poted on www.evilshenanigans.com on 4/20/2009

If given the choice of any dessert I want, I almost always pick the cookie.  I adore them.  During the Holidays I tend to eat and bake so many cookies that I get a little tired of them and I can't stand to make them until Spring is fully underway. 

These cookies have a delicious secret hidden in them.  A mixture of ground almonds, mini-chocolate chips, vanilla sugar, and cinnamon.   I love little suprises like this in my desserts.  People always think you slaved to make something so impressive, but I must confess ... these are so easy to make!  The dough is supple and easy to work with, and they hold the filling well. 

Once baked they maintain their shape well, and once cool completly are sturdy little things.  The dough is not terribly sweet, it is more like a pie dough than a cookie dough in many aspects, so the dusting of powdered sugar is a welcome addition.  If you do not want to roll or dust your cookies, and often I feel that step is one step too many myself,  feel free to add a tablespoon or two of additional sugar to the dough.

These cookies are crisp, buttery, delicate, and remarkable good.  They keep for as many as five days in an air tight container on the counter.   

Plus, they just look darn pretty!

Almond and Chocolate Filled Butter Cookies   Yield 36 cookies

Dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar (or 2 tabplesoons sugar with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla)
1 cup salted butter
2 tablepsoons milk
1 tablespoon water

Filling:

1/2 cup ground almonds
1/3 cup vanilla sugar
3 tablespoons mini-chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons water

Powdered sugar for dusting

Heat the oven to 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix the almonds with the sugar, chocolate chips and water.  Mix well and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor add the flour, cinnamon, sugar, milk, water, and butter.  Pulse the mixture until it forms a ball.  You may need to add up to an additional tablespoon of water.

Roll the dough into a log about 18″ long, then cut into 1/2″ slices.  Roll each slice into a ball.

Take one ball of doug, press your finger into the center, then shape the ball into a cup. 

Fill each cup with a little of the filling then pinch the dough closed.  Roll gently between your palms to round the ball and place seam side down on the prepared pans.  Repeat with the remaining dough.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly golden.  Cool completly on the pan.

Roll in powdered sugar before serving.

Posted on www.evilshenanigans.com on 4/13/2009

If you do not like chocolate jam packed inside a fudgy brownie, turn back now!

This recipe is adapted from one we made in culinary school.  The brownies we made were ok, but we did not use dark chocolate or dutch processed cocoa powder.  I do and the result is superior.  There is also more chocolate chips in my version.  I see it this way, if you are going to have chocolate, why go half-way? 

These are really easy to get mixed up, they cool pretty quickly and are wonderful covered in a shiny layer of dark chocolate ganache.  Again, why go half way?

The brownies are rich, chewy, melting, and fudgy.  I like them warm, with the kiss of the oven still on them, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or some whipped cream and a drizzle of fudge sauce.  As good as they are warm, however, I also like them cold from the refrigerator.  For some reason these brownies are SO GOOD cold, which makes them excellent for the summers here in Texas when it is ten kinds of hot.  There is nothing like a cold, chewy brownie when it is 105F outside.  Trust me!

You can easily double this recipe.  In fact, the original recipe was enough to fill a full sheet pan.  I scaled this down to a quarter of that amount - mostly because my thighs could not take it.  Just know you can scale it up easily and with much success. 

Dark Chocolate Chip Brownies   Yield 20 brownies

3 oz butter
2 oz dark chocolate, at least 62%, chopped
Sugar 14 oz
4 oz golden syrup or honey
3 oz butter
5 oz eggs (about three large)
.75 oz water
1 teaspoon instant espresso
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
5.25 oz cake flour
1 oz dutch processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 oz chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350F and prepare a 1/4 sheet pan (9″x13″) with non-stick spray, line the bottom with parchment and spray again.

In a bowl combine the butter and the chocolate.  Microwave for 30 seconds, stir then microwave for an additional 15 seconds.  If the mixture is not completely melted heat at ten second intervals until completly melted.  Set aside to cool slightly.

In a bowl combine the sugar, golden syrup/honey, and second portion of butter.  Mix until well combined. 

Disolve the espresson the the water.  Add that along with the eggs and vanilla to the sugar mixture.  Mix to combine.

Stir in the melted chocolate mixture.  Blend well.  Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well so that the mixture is completly combined.

Sift the dry ingredients then add them to the wet mixture.  Mix until just beginning to mositen then add the chips.  Mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated and there are no lumps.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the center is just set.

Cool completly in the pan before turning out into a cutting board. 

Frost and slice as desired.

Posted on www.evilshenanaigans.com  4/8/2009

I am a bacon devotee.  I'm not sure if you have noticed, but I love the stuff!  That's why when I was challenged to create a sweet and savoury bacon muffin I jumped at the challenge!

But, this is a tale of sadness, regret, but eventual triumph! 

Two months ago, on a cold January evening, I was contemplating new ways to use bacon in my baking when my husband asked, "Can you make a bacon cupcake?"  A cupcake?  No, not that, never that.  However, a muffin I could do!  So, off to research.  I formulated a recipe with a brown sugar crumble and gave it a whirl.

They tasted great, but looked about as pretty as homemade soap.  Not a shining moment for me, but I moved on.  Next I tried no crumble and more maple.  They were far too sweet and had the texture of sticky cornbread.  BLEH!   Long story short (too late, right?), after a few more failures I struck the right balance of salty and sweet in a tender, bulging muffins!  It is this that I present to you, the perfect brunch bread. .. Maple and Bacon Muffins!   

Maple and Bacon Muffins   Yield 1 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup real maple syrup

Heat the oven to 400 F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners, or grease and flour the pan well.

Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt well.  Mix in the crumbled bacon.

In a separate bowl mix the milk, eggs, oil, and maple syrup.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it.  Fold gently until the dry ingredients are wet.  It will be lumpy.

Scoop into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Serve warm.

Posted on www.evilshenanigans.com - 4/3/2009

Today is my birthday!!  I won't tell you how old I am ... that would just depress me.  But, I will tell you what does not depress me ...

Cupcakes! 

Especially when they are in fun red liners from acupcakery.com!!  Red is my absolute favorite color, and the liners stayed nice and bright after baking.  I love that!

So, to celebrate my birthday I made a batch of cupcakes to share with you.  Of course, you are not here to eat them ... I guess that means I will have to eat all these dark, moist, lucious, mocha cupcakes for you.  Oh, how I suffer! 

These have a nice hit of coffee which is the perfect compliment to the Dutch-processed cocoa powder.  So, in honor of me, make a batch of these cupcakes.  Consider it my gift to you.   I'm off to celebrate! 

Dark Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes   Yield 12

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten with
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons strong coffee (I used three tablespoons hot water with 1 tablespoon instant coffee)

Heat the oven to 350 F and line a 12-cup cupcake/muffin tin with liners. 

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt.   Mix well.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and coffee.  Blend until there are only a few small lumps left.

Scoop into lined cupcake tins and bake for 20 minutes, or until the centers spring back when lightly pressed.

Cool for three minutes in the pan before removing the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frost as desired.

Posted at www.evilshenanigans.com on 4/1/2009

It's April Fool's Day ... but I am not fooling around when I tell you that this pound cake is about the best I have ever had. 

I had half a bag of coconut sitting in my pantry since I made my Carrot Coconut Cupcakes and I didn't know what to do with it.  For a while I considered making coconut candy, but I was not in the candy making mood.  As much as I enjoy candy, I prefer eating it to making it.  So, it was back to the drawing board.

Now, I should say that the last few days here in my part of Texas have been warm.  The trees are turning green and the grass has transformed from straw brown to vibrant emerald.  I have been feeling decidedly 'Spring-ie' and I decided I wanted something that sort of said, "Hey Spring!  How you doin'?" 

I also had a glut of limes that I needed to use, and lime curd seemed just the thing to make.  Well, If you have curd you need something to spread it on, and I love lime and lemon curd on pound cake.  Why not, I thought, make a coconut pound cake? 

So, I did, and it was really, really tasty.  The toasted flavor of the coconut added another layer of flavor to the buttery cake.  It also added a lovely texture to the cake.  There was the fluffy part, the nutty crusty part, and now this chewy, sort of crispy part.   It was, for me, the perfect way to welcome Spring!

Lime Curd    Yield 1 cup

2 oz sugar
1 teaspoon lime zest
2 oz lime juice
2 egg yolks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Rub the lime zest into the sugar until it is fragrant and the sugar is tinted pale green.  Pour into a heavy bottom pot.

Juice the limes and add the juice to the pot with the sugar.  Stir in the egg yolks and cook over medium heat until thick.  Stir in the butter and cook until melted.

Pour through a strainer into a heat proof bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Make sure to press the film down on the curd to avoid a skin.

Chill for two hours.

While the curd chills, make the cake.

Toasted Coconut Pound Cake   Yield 12 servings

1 cup coconut
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat the oven to 325 F and grease a 10″ loaf pan very well.

Allow your butter, eggs and sour cream to come to room temperature.

Toast the coconut for 10 minutes, or until brown and fragrant.  Set aside to cool.

In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium high speed for five minutes. 

Scrape the sides of the bowl down and add the eggs, one at a time, blending for one minute after each addition and scraping down before adding the next.

Add the vanilla and blend to combine.

Sift the dry ingredients and add them, along with the sour cream, in three alternating installments, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.  Do not over-mix.

Fold the toasted coconut in gently and pour into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 60 minutes, or until the center of the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the center.  You may need to tent the cake with foil to avoid over browning.  Do not over-bake.

Cool in the pan for 20 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.

Slice and eat as is or ....

Spread a tablespoon of the lime curd over the cake, and while we are at it some softly whipped cream.

Your taste buds will thank you. 

Posted on www.evilshenanigans.com - 3/25/2009

When I was in England last Fall I fell in love.

Not with a person, or even the land or the culture, however fantastic they all are.  No, I fell in love with the bacon.  In England they serve, almost exclusively, back bacon.  If you have never had this kind of bacon before it is a  glorious mix of lean meat, similar to Canadian Bacon, with a streaky tail, similar to our bacon in the US.  It is nothing short of a miracle, and I am so unhappy that the only way I can get this bacon in Texas is by ordering it from British expat food shops at a premium price.

Of course, my love knows no bounds and what are a few dollars compared to the comfort of a well cooked, meaty rasher of bacon?   So, I have a few packs stored in my freezer awaiting their weekend to be fried and eaten, and while I have enjoyed this singular way of eating back bacon, I secretly craved something different.  

Last year I received The Bacon Cookbook by James Villas.  As the name implies, this book is about cooking with bacon and it even has a section with bacon desserts (which, of the ones I have tried, are quite good!).  I found myself flipping through this book one Saturday when I found his recipe for English Bacon and Cheddar Bread.  This recipe used back bacon, which is fried and chopped, mixed in the bread itself.  Of course, I had to make it.

I did modify the recipe slightly by mixing the all-purpose flour with some whole wheat graham flour for a hearty texture and nutty flavor.  I also replaced some of the regular milk with buttermilk because (shameful as it is) I ran out of regular milk!  Oops.

While the bread baked the house smelled like bacon mixed with Irish soda bread.   When sliced it had a tight knit crumb studded with bacon and streaked with cheddar cheese.   The flavor had the right mixture of tangy cheese and salty bacon.

You can, of course, make this with out back bacon.  Just use 6oz of Canadian bacon and 2 oz of regular streaky bacon chopped and fried together in a pan.  That should replicate the back bacon fairly well.

You really must try this!

Bacon Cheddar Cheese Bread   Yield 1 - 10″ loaf
Adapted from The Bacon Cookbook

1/2 pound back bacon (or 6oz Canadian bacon and 2 oz thick cut streaky bacon)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 whole wheat graham flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup coarse grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup lard
2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Heat the oven to 350 F and spray a 10″ loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp.  Drain on paper towels then chop into small pieces.  Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flours, salt, baking powder, and sugar.   Add the lard and, with your hands, mix it into the four until it looks like coarse sand.  Add the cheese and toss to combine.

In another bowl mix the eggs, milk, buttermilk, and Worcestershire sauce.   Pour the wet over the dry and mix until the dry ingredients are almost incorporated.  Add the bacon and fold in, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.  Do not overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top of the bread is lightly brown and a thin knife inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack to cool. 

Serve slightly warm, with Irish butter if you can find it.  (I recommend Kerrygold).