Niamh
Northern Irish griddle breads
AI editorial persona, not a real person
Niamh is BeneRecipes' AI editorial persona for Northern Irish food, especially the griddle breads of the Ulster fry. She is not a real person and has not cooked these recipes herself; her drafts are checked by our human editor before publication.
Recipes by Niamh
Recipe · 1 hr 40 min
Apple Tart (Plate Pie)
Sharp Bramley apples between two layers of sweet shortcrust on a pie plate: the apple tart of every Northern Irish kitchen.
Recipe · 50 min
Brandy Snaps
Lacy, golden ginger biscuits rolled into tubes while warm and filled with cream: a classic British party treat that is easier than it looks.
Recipe · 35 min
Champ
Creamy mashed potato beaten with scallions and milk, served with a pool of melting butter.
Recipe · 2 hr 20 min
Fifteens
Northern Ireland's no-bake traybake: digestives, marshmallows and glacé cherries rolled in coconut and sliced.
Recipe · 35 min
Paris Buns
Soft, sweet scone-like buns topped with crunchy sugar: a favourite of Northern Irish bakery counters.
Recipe · 55 min
Potato Bread (Potato Farls)
Soft, thin griddle bread made from mashed potato and a little flour, cut into farls and fried for the Ulster fry.
Recipe · 2 hr 30 min
Sherry Trifle
Sponge soaked in sherry, fruit, thick custard and whipped cream: the make-ahead pudding that has graced Christmas tables for generations.
Recipe · 30 min
Soda Farls
Quick griddle-cooked soda bread, cut into quarters and ready in 30 minutes: the other half of the Ulster fry.
Recipe · 40 min
Ulster Fry
Northern Ireland's cooked breakfast, made unique by soda farls and potato bread fried golden in the pan.
Recipe · 1 hr
Wheaten Bread
Northern Ireland's nutty brown soda bread, baked in a loaf tin with wholemeal flour, oats and buttermilk.
Recipe · 1 hr 25 min
Yellowman
Northern Ireland's chewy-crisp honeycomb toffee, famously sold at the Ould Lammas Fair in Ballycastle.
Articles by Niamh
Buying guide
Baking Beans: Blind Baking Without a Soggy Bottom
Ceramic beans, metal chains or dried pulses: what to use for blind baking, and how to do it properly.
Kitchen design
Belfast vs Butler Sinks: What's the Difference?
Both are deep ceramic sinks, but they are not the same. How to tell them apart and choose the right one.
Buying guide
Biscuit Cutters for Christmas Baking
Stars, trees and gingerbread people: the cutters worth having for Christmas biscuits, and how to keep their shapes sharp.
Buying guide
Can Openers: Side-Cutting, Traditional or Electric?
Which can opener leaves safe, smooth edges, which is easiest for weaker hands, and what to check before buying.
Buying guide
Cocktail Shakers for Christmas Drinks
Boston, cobbler or French: which cocktail shaker is easiest at home, and the jigger and strainer that go with it.
Buying guide
Colanders: Metal, Enamel or Collapsible?
How to choose a colander that drains potatoes and pasta fast and stands safely in the sink.
Kitchen design
Cookbook Storage: Shelves, Sizes and Keeping Books Clean
Where to keep cookery books in the kitchen, how deep and tall the shelves need to be, and how to protect them from steam and splashes.
Kitchen design
Declutter Your Kitchen Before Christmas: A One-Weekend Plan
Clearing out now makes room for Christmas food and gadgets. A cupboard-by-cupboard plan you can finish in one weekend.
Kitchen design
Deep Pan Drawers or Cupboards? Why Many Kitchens Are Switching
Pull a drawer and everything comes to you; open a cupboard and you kneel. How deep drawers compare, and what to put in them.
Kitchen design
Dishwasher Sizes: Full-Size, Slimline or Compact?
Standard and slimline widths, how many place settings each holds, and integrated versus freestanding dishwashers.
Buying guide
Dough Scrapers: The Cheapest Tool Bakers Love
Bench scrapers and bowl scrapers: what they do and why they are worth owning.
Buying guide
Egg Cups: Sizes, Styles and Soft-Boiled Egg Timings
Egg cup styles, which suit large or duck eggs, and a timing table for soft-, medium- and hard-boiled eggs.
Buying guide
Frying Pans and Skillets: Cast Iron, Steel or Non-Stick?
Which frying pan to use for an Ulster fry, a steak or an omelette, and how to look after each type.
Kitchen design
Glass-Fronted Kitchen Cabinets: Display Without the Dust
How glazed cabinet doors show off china and glass while keeping dust off, and what to put in them.
Kitchen design
Kitchen Cabinet Handles and Knobs: How to Choose
Cup handles, knobs and bar pulls: the quick, affordable way to change the look of a kitchen.
Kitchen design
Kitchen Taps: Bridge, Pillar or Mixer?
The main styles of kitchen tap, which suit a traditional sink, and the practical details to check.
Kitchen design
Knife Storage: Blocks, Magnetic Strips and Drawer Inserts
The safest ways to store kitchen knives so they stay sharp and out of harm's way, compared side by side.
Buying guide
Lemon Squeezers and Citrus Juicers
Reamers, squeezer bowls, hand presses and electric juicers: which gets the most juice for the least effort.
Kitchen design
Plate Racks: Drying and Displaying China the Old Way
Wall-hung and over-sink plate racks: the simple piece of kitchen furniture that dries and stores plates at once.
Buying guide
Serving Trays for Tea and Entertaining
Size, handles and surface: how to pick a tray that carries a full tea service safely.
Kitchen design
Set Up a Christmas Drinks Station (and Keep the Kitchen Free)
Move the drinks out of the cook's way: what a self-serve drinks station needs, plenty of alcohol-free options, and the drink-drive rules.
Buying guide
Trifle Bowls: Show Off Every Layer
A trifle is only as good as the bowl that shows off its layers. Size, footed versus flat, and glass that copes with the fridge.