In praise of Northern Ireland and its traybakes

[toomuchtooold]

A couple of months ago there was a great thread on here about Northern Irish (protestant) traybakes. Well I have just been to Northern Ireland on holiday and I sampled some of the famous traybake and it was flaming brilliant! There was this minty chocolate one, and the millionaire's shortbread, and a thing with marshmallows... seriously you all have to go there, the old lady baked goods are even better than my native Glasgow. And the people were lovely, it was great, everyone was really friendly, and they say "wee" even more than we do. The countryside's gorgeous, you've got the Giant's Causeway and all that dramatic Game of Thrones coastline... it was awesome.

Totally agree. Love Northern Ireland and have had lots of lovely holidays in the Portstewart/Portrush area. And yes to the "wee" more than Glasgow, last time we were there someone in a shop referred to me as "that wee girl over there" - I'm 45!!

Are the tray bakes a Presbyterian tradition or something?

Yes, very much a Protestant thing.
I’m a catholic from the south and had never heard of a traybake before I came here.
My Granny was from rural Ireland and used to tell me she loved going to a ProtestNt whist drive as the baking was all so good and they “Did things properly”

The traybake thread is in classics if anyone wants to read it 🥧

Aww OP, I'm so glad you had a good time. I live in NI and the tray bakes are wasted on me - give me a sponge cake any day (and don't get me started on the fact that they call tray bakes "buns" sometimes because that always gives me false hope!). But I totally agree that everyone is lovely, the food is delicious and the scenery is some of the most stunning in the world. Glad you had a good wee break

I have made a lot of Mary Berry's traybakes. I didn't think that traybakes were specifically a Northern Ireland thing.

I didn't think that traybakes were specifically a Northern Ireland thing
Not specificcally so tapas but very popular there.

I give you the definitive (imho) Northern Irish traybake....the fifteen.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/fifteens

So easy. So yum.

Yum. More recipes needed, please!

My favourite thing about Northern Ireland was the soup. So much lovely soup, everywhere.

And yes, the people were lovely.

Ok...how about a malteser bun?
justaddeggs.blogspot.com/2008/06/new-and-improved-malteser-buns.html?m=1

In fact...here is a genuine church recipe list!!
www.fahanchurch.org/recepies.htm

Althugh it is a Donegal church but sure that's practically ni

Donegal is not NI - had to put up with enough of that during my time away

Thank you for the positive comments about my home - and yes, we do say wee a lot and the tray bakes are indeed fab.

How nice to hear something positive about our wee country!

I'm another catholic from the south and never heard of the tray bake before I came to live in NI. It's a great place. Beautiful scenery , not just in Co Antrim but in all the other counties too.

I thought a traybake was a thing everywhere didn’t realise it was just here in N.I
Love 15s but when I make them they come without the cherries because I’m the boss!
Anyone sampled Banoffee?

hippoherostandinghere

How nice to hear something positive about our wee country!
Your wee country is fabulous! I love your beaches and your mountain range!

Aw it's lovely to have something positive said about NI for a change.

Now, the traybakes are good but what about our breads? Wheaten, soda farls of all flavours and potato bread. Mmmm I feel an Ulster fry coming on for brunch tomorrow!

Off topic but I’ll throw in a castle to add to notacooldad beaches and mountains
myrealireland.com/antrim/carrickfergus-castle/

Off to NI tomorrow for a mini holiday, I'm going to make it my mission to sample as many traybakes as possible in 36 hours! OtraCosaMariposa, we're staying in Portstewart, any recommendations for places to eat with kids? It would probably be good to get some savoury food in too as well as the traybakes!

Not savoury but Morelli's in Portstewart is a MUST - best ice cream sundaes ever.

Out kids loved Whiterocks beach which is between Portstewart and Portrush. Mussenden Temple is lovely too, amazing views and like something out of Harry Potter. Dunluce castle. If you're up for travelling and depending on the age of the kids, either the W5 science centre or Titanic museum in Belfast.

BodyOnMe we're just back from a week in Portstewart. We head up every year. On the front there's the Jam Jar, Roughans, Warkes Deli (at the harbour end), for your buns etc. We ate at Morellis (not just icecream- pizzas were good), Bob and Bert's and Villa. The Griddle bakery is good too especially for filled sodas. It's on up out of the town towards the beach. Lots of people like Harry's Shack which is just at the entrance to the beach.

What about Pavlovas? DP’s family from Armagh are mad for them

@Bodyonme try 55 North in Portrush. Child friendly whilst still being nice, beautiful views, inexpensive.