Grandma Clarks Soda Bread

(from The Silver Palate Cookbook) Smear 2T of the butter evenly in a 10 inch cast iron skillet. *****I use a 10 inch silverstone cake pan. Line the pan or skillet with a circle of waxed paper. Melt 2 more tablespoons of butter in a separate pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift dry ingredients together. Add currants and toss well to coat. Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Add this to the dry ingredients, along with the caraway seeds if you are using them. Mix till blended, but do NOT overmix. Spoon batter into the prepared skillet or cake pan and smooth top gently with a spatula. Dot the top with remaining 2T butter. ***Optional--you can also lightly sprinkle some extra sugar over the top. Bake until golden brown and puffed. ***It will puff up nicely, and look gorgeous! It should take about 60 minutes of baking time. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Cut into wedges and serve warm. Note...This is fabulous with butter and a hot cup of tea or coffee. It is a cross between bread and cake. Posted to EAT-L Digest by Cynthia Ryan <cdryan@JUNO.COM> on Mar 10, 1998