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.

I really miss fifteens, my lovely friend (and former supplier) gave me the recipe when she rudely buggered off moved back to NI, but I don't seem to have the magic touch, because they just don't taste the same 😭😭😭😭😭

Oh god my mother's Garlic Potatos are legendary.

Where is the Harbour bar?

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”

That gave me a tingle down my spine. Wouldn't it be lovely if The Troubles could be finally solved by traybakes? I'd make them all day if it could.

My ma does a lovely fresh cream sponge as well as traybakes when providing catering for all her Proddie events. In fact, many years ago their minister gave anyone in the congregation that wanted to take part £1 & told them to make it grow into more money for the church hall fund.

My ma & da gathered best recipes from everyone & printed a cookbook making the most money. Many locals still use their wee cookbook now. Lots of traybake recipes 😁

Postmanwatcher

Where is the Harbour bar?

Portrush; it's part of the Ramore complex mentioned above.

When’s the best time of year to visit NI, it all sounds fab!

Come now! In one of our rare dry spells is probably the best time to visit! So much gorgeous stuff to see & Rathlin island is amazing for peace & quiet if you have a few extra days! Any Game of thrones fans can have a full on excitement on DIY tour!

Come now! Yes do. There are an abundance of certified tours leaving from Belfast now. Many of whom have gone through the Visit Belfast programs.

It's such a beautiful place. Visit the Castle in Carrickfergus. Do a run down the coast to the Gobbins.

Visit the north coast and do the game of thrones tour. Check out Gods own Orchard in Armagh. Loads of fab restaurants there in the food heartland.

Honestly you could spend a month here and still not see everything.

I always bring back snow balls. Only the NI kind that are cake and icing. They are delicious

I can’t come now, it’s term time!!!

The best cake from NI is a snowball.

Oh I love snowballs.

I remember mum taking us to Oharas bakery on a Friday after school and buying a "mock cream tea ring" oh flip my mouth is watering at the thought.

I'm away to whitehead to get one today. Yum yum yum.

It's like an answer form the sugar gods!

Just wanted to say, fantastic that you enjoyed NI so much OP! I'm a Norn Irn native but live on the Mainland. My DH (English, a southerner even, bless him) thinks that 'traybakes' are savoury oven dishes eg pasta bakes. So weird. I have successfully made him call woodlice by their proper name, 'slaters', for years now though. So there's hope for him yet!

My Granny was from rural Ireland and used to tell me she loved going to a ProtestNt whist drive

My (Presbyterian) grandparents used to hold whist drives. Was that a Northern Irish thing?

Hate to be a party pooper but whist drives would not be tolerated in any Presbyterian church I know - many would call actual cards 'the devils cards'. They won't even do a charity raffle as it's gambling & against God!

They weren't Free Ps just the ordinary kind! Grandparents on the other side (Church of Ireland) wouldn't let their children play cards on a Sunday.

We weren't allowed to watch TV on Sundays unless it was Songs of praise! We're standard Presbyterians. I though the free Ps were 'freer', like more slack on the rules!

Not even the Antiques Roadshow?