69 Comments

this is such gorgeous post — the image of cookies in your kitchen is intimate and intoxicating. and thank you for highlighting my book, Shine Bright! I'm happy you're enjoying, and you are divine for sharing xo!

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Thank you, Danyel, cookies are delicious and loving your book!

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This cookbook looks amazing! But please, let me know: is there a recipe for baps? When I stayed in Northern Ireland with friends, I developed a taste for them, but I’ve never been able to reproduce them at home. They are kind of an Irish hamburger bun, but so much softer and lovely. I’d also love a recipe for Irish Pan bread, which is a type of sandwich bread you could buy in the shops that made far better toast than any bread in the US.

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Jackie, I don’t own this Irish book YET, but I have made Baps and a Fruited Pan Bread from the Theodora Fitzgibbons books on Ireland, which are old but excellent.

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Thanks for jumping in, Anne, I just wrote Jackie that I found a recipe for Blaas in the book, now I’m googling Theodora’s book! 😄

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Jackie, I found a Waterford Blaas recipe in the book (similar to Bap but different 😂) I’m still flipping through, I’ll be back!

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Sounds like a good one to add to my collection.

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I think you’d love it, Kate!

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Now that I've read your newsletter, I'm even more excited to get my copy of The Irish Baker. Unfortunately, I have to wait a few more weeks. The postage to Australia was almost as much as the book, so I had my copy sent to my daughter in England, who is under strict instructions to bring it with her when we get together over Christmas!

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I love it! “Strict instructions!” 😂 Julia, you are going to love this book!

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These photos are so transporting...also, I am DEVOURING "Julia" and so glad I waited to watch it. I can't express how moving it's been really seeing how brave she was in following her gut about doing something that had literally never been done...and given all she was up against. It's been such a delight to watch....I'd like to listen to YOUR podcast about it, too

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Yes, this book is magic, Christene! 🪄 So glad you’re loving Julia and I totally agree about how much perseverance and savvy and guts she had to have to push through -- and I love her editor Judith Jones (want to do a full post about her). A podcast, hmmm... I think that will be my New Year’s goal-- but I’ll only do one if you’ll be on it! ✨❤️

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What a gorgeous cookbook! The cookies are on my Christmas list for baking. Thank you, Jolene.

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Joan, I think you’ll love them! Clementine’s are so holiday-ish 🍊 and it’s a perfect little cookie. Hope you’re well! :)

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Evelyn is a family name (my grandmother and then my cousin named after her)—it’s one of those old-fashioned names that I see making a comeback!

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I love it! I always think of Evelyn Nesbitt!

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Jolene, loved this post with smatterings of good ideas! I need that Irish book after last June in No Ireland. I may jump in on an answer to one of your questions bc I’ve made baps and pan bread. Thank you! ❤️

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Anne, you are gonna LOVE this book, especially since you just traveled there. Also: there is an essay from an ‘Ann Byrne’ from County Meath in the book!

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I’ll never forget visiting Ireland 30 or more years ago and listening to local radio in the car and hearing Ann Byrne spoken as if it were Jane Smith!

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I need more cookies in my life!

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Never enough cookies, Jillian! 🍪

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Oh my goodness, what a stunning book! Thank you for sharing this gem!

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You will love it, Kristin!

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Can you share the apple cake recipe?

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Hi, Joe, I only have permission to reprint the Clementine recipe.

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That is fine. Will look to buy the book!

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It’s a beauty!

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I've never baked with clementines! What a mouthwatering idea. This looks like the perfect cookbook to cozy up to, under a blanket, with a mug of tea.

I also burst out laughing at Christmas decor-destroying cat reference. Because I now have an Extremely Energetic 6-month-old kitten, I'm going to have to rethink my Christmas tree strategy this year...

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These cookies are 💯!

Aww, a kitten ❤️🐱 (also: destroyer)

After an ‘unfortunate’ episode I put my 4ft tree up on a bar cart! So far so good! Ps- I’m working on the two questions/prompts!

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I'm imagining the tree-on-a-bar-cart situation and cackling 🤣 (And: while there's zero rush, I'm *so* excited to hear your answers!)

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A friend told me my bar-cart tree is “glamorous” 😂

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They're on the party menu!

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🥳

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Ooooo.... the baking book is gorgeous! What is it about bread art? And thank you for the yummy recipes! Did you know Mark Twain came into the world with Haley’s Comet and left with it after all his adventures? My Mom had a dear friend in Hannibal, Missouri. Have you been there? We used to eat these special sandwiches at the Maid-Rite Cafe. Such wonderful adventures. Thank you, Jolene, for once again bringing the goods. Baked goods, of course. lol. Take good care, friend.

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I didn’t know about Hayley’s Comet and Twain! Is it ok if I quote you in the piece? (With links to you. Of course!)

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For sure. Or even better check out the link I sent you to insta! I did my high school English research paper on Mark Twain aka Samuel Clemons. I actually used index cards and had a blast. 💥

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Will do!

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What a stunning book! I used to have about 50 kgs of cook books but the move to Finland saw them distributed to other homes. This one has made me want to buy it! Thanks for sharing 💖

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Lisa, I think you’d really enjoy because it’s so, so cosy and really embraces the winter ‘feel’ of things. The recipes are 💯 and the photos are so gorgeous!

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I'd be clutching that book in comfort, too! I just finished book 4 of an American detective-in-Ireland mystery series (she's from the North Shore of LI, to boot!) and this is even more endearing on on my wavelength!!

and oh yes, my cats would destroy even the *idea* of a tree !

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What is the series, Jess? I’ll check it out! Isn’t that a great line? “Clutching a book for comfort” ❤️ by the way, I have a cat and have my 4 ft tree perched on a bar cart and so far, so good after a ‘bad night of destruction’ when I had it (initially) on the floor on a stand 🙄😂

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