Gemma's Best Irish Recipes - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (2024)

FAQs

Are scones Irish or British? ›

Scones are traditionally Irish, Scottish, and English foods. However, nobody knows which of these countries invented the baked food. As far as history can trace back, Scones probably originate from Scotland. Yes, the first print reference dates back to 1513 and is from a Scottish poet.

Gemma Stafford is an Irish-born chef, best-selling cookbook author, and host of the hit online baking show Bigger Bolder Baking. Gemma helps anyone bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with her chef-tested recipes and techniques that take the fear out of baking.

Made with whole wheat flour, wheat germ, and rolled oats, this simple Irish brown bread comes together in no time and yields a hearty, super tasty loaf, perfect for toasting and slathering with butter and jam.

Irish scones are always round and always made with butter. The biggest difference between American scones and Irish scones is the amount of butter used. Irish Scones are made with quite a bit less (as well as less sugar).

While quite similar, what distinguishes Irish scones from English scones is that they typically contain a bit less sugar. They're also made with less leavener, so they're slightly flatter and smaller. It's important to note that no two Irish families make their scones the same way.

Irish stew: This is the dish Irish people are most likely to roll out for St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Hearty chunks of lamb are slow-cooked in a rich gravy with onion, potatoes, carrot and parsley. Coddle is a traditional Dublin stew with sausages, onion, potato and bacon – or rashers as they're known locally.

All full Irish breakfasts include some or all of the following: Bacon, sausages, baked beans, eggs, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, and perhaps some cooked leftover potatoes made into a hash or a bubble and squeak. There will also be toast, butter, marmalade, and lots of tea to drink.

Now I live in sunny Los Angeles, California where I host and produce a baking show 'Gemma's Bigger Bolder Baking' for the digital space, specializing in over the top bold creations with Irish flair.

Gemma Stafford is originally from Wexford but moved to the US to work in restaurants and is now the host of online cooking show Bigger Bolder Baking.

It is actually Irish wheaten or “Brown Bread” that is the most popular and arguably the most delicious type of traditional Irish bread that exists. It's so common that you'll find brown bread in almost every home on the island and it's so versatile that it's offered with a range of menu items.

Why is Irish bread so good? ›

It was for everyday use, and its distinctive soft, crumbly, dense texture results from the "soft" wheat that grows in the cool climate of Ireland, meaning that it doesn't have enough protein to form the gluten structure of yeast-raised breads. Hence the use of baking soda, originally potash, as a leavening agent.

A scone (/ˈskɒn/ SKON or /ˈskoʊn/ SKOHN) is a traditional Scottish baked good, popular in Scotland, Ireland and England.

Scones are thought to have originated in Scotland in the early 1500s and the first known print reference was made by a Scottish poet in 1513. Scones were originally made using oats, shaped into a large round and scored into four or six wedges.

According to the survey, afternoon teas in Scotland and Ulster would include scones as in “gone” while folks further south in England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland would be ordering scones in “bone”.

Though it isn't certain, many believe that scones originated in Scotland in the 16th century. Scones can be traced back to another "quick bread," called bannocks. Bannocks are an oat based flatbread that is often cooked on a griddle and cut into farls.