Murder at an Irish Christmas Quotes

“Lucky for us, once glitter gets out, it’s almost impossible to clean it all up.”
― Carlene O'Connor, Murder at an Irish Christmas

“Siobhán wished she could control the thoughts that popped into her mind. She’d have to settle for being grateful that nobody else could hear them.”
― Carlene O'Connor, Murder at an Irish Christmas

“INGREDIENTS 2½ cups stone ground whole wheat flour
1½ cups white flour (some bakers use whole wheat again)
½ cup rolled oats
1½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1¾ cups buttermilk
2 Tablespoons molasses or treacle (optional, but Siobhán uses it)
Siobhán even splashes in some Guinness for luck. In a large bowl, combine all flour, oats, salt, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and molasses. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. (Add a drop of Guinness for good luck.) Stir with a fork or spatula until combined. Cover your hands with flour and knead the dough into a ball. Place the dough ball on a lined baking sheet and press it flat, a few inches thick. With a knife, make a cross on top of the loaf. Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes. Then reduce to 400°F and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until the bottom of the bread sounds hollow when tapped. Note: I once asked an Irish woman for her brown bread recipe. She let me know that recipes are handed down, not out. So I pushed my luck and asked how hers was so soft. She relented on this and suggested longer baking times at lower heat, that is, 180 degrees for one hour.”
― Carlene O'Connor, Murder at an Irish Christmas

“You can’t make this stuff up.”
― Carlene O'Connor, Murder at an Irish Christmas

“It’s during the worst times that we need the Christmas spirit most of all,” Siobhán said. She truly believed that. Christmas wasn’t just a day, or an event, it was a spirit. Markets”
― Carlene O'Connor, Murder at an Irish Christmas