Irish Quick Bread
Rec.food.cooking/Leslie Ellen Forte (1992)

A good friend of mine gave me this recipe a few weeks ago, and I think that I have already made it four times, as it is so good. It is called Irish Bread, though it is not a soda bread - rather it turns out very dense, almost cake-like with a sprinkling of nuts throughout. Enjoy.

3/4 cup sugar + a little to sprinkle on top
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup raisins

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add buttermilk and egg and blend. In another bowl, sift flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix only until moistened. Fold in raisins and currants. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Sprinkle the top with a little sugar. Bake at 375F for thirty minutes and then turn the oven down to 325F and bake for another 30 minutes.