Irish brown bread served with butter and aged cheddar cheese — a little slice of heaven. Karen Schneider photo

I just returned from a trip to Ireland and am now thoroughly addicted to brown bread and pub soup. This addiction has happened before and I was able to get over it eventually, but since my holiday spent across the pond was lengthier this time, I fear my almost daily need for this bread and this soup has become much more serious.

At this moment, I have a hefty loaf of brown bread cooling on the countertop, my second loaf baked in five days. To be clear, I did share the first loaf I made upon my return with family members.

I made both these loaves with black treacle carried home from the old country. This is the U.K.’s version of blackstrap molasses. Regular molasses will also work. Then there is the Guinness that I must now always have on hand to give this bread its unique flavors of caramel, coffee and the malty essence of hops.

Served warm and spread with Irish butter, a slice of this is heaven. Served with aged cheddar cheese, it’s even better.

The bread is a must-have with the pub soup, which I familiarized myself with “over there” at every opportunity, sometimes even searching out a simple bowl of this creamy comfort rather than indulging in yet another heavy meal.

When I got settled back here at the cove, I concocted my own pub soup made with a beautiful silky stock from roasted chicken. (Homemade vegetable stock is also lovely.)

Substituting a turnip or a couple parsnips for some of the potatoes is nice if you have them, and adding a small, chopped apple to the pot near the end of cooking time will bring in a sweet note. Be sure to blend the soup well so there are no lumpy bits. Now go fiddle around with this basic recipe to find your winning combination.

Guinness Brown Bread

• 2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup old-fashioned or quick oats (plus 1 tablespoon to garnish bread top)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses or treacle
• 1 cup Guinness at room temperature
• 1 cup buttermilk (or use 1 cup milk plus 1 teaspoon vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly butter a large (9-by-5.25-by-2.75-inch or 1 1/2 quart) bread pan.

Place whole wheat flour, oats, salt and baking soda in a large bowl and blend with a whisk. Mix in brown sugar.

Make a well in the flour mixture. Pour in molasses, Guinness, buttermilk, honey and melted butter. Stir with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are well mixed.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan, smooth with a spatula, and make a line down the middle of the batter to give the bread a vent to expand. Sprinkle the top of the batter with oats.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. (If cooking mini loaves, test them after 45 minutes.)

Remove the bread from the oven and set on a baking rack to cool. Yield: 1 large loaf or 2-3 mini loaves.

Irish Pub Soup

• 4-6 leeks (white part only), sliced
• 3/4 cup carrots, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4-5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh cream, optional
• Snipped fresh herbs of your choosing, optional

Heat butter and oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Sauté leeks, carrots, celery and garlic until translucent and soft, about 15 minutes. Add stock and potatoes, simmering until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Cool to room temperature and puree in a standard blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Adjust consistency with additional stock if needed. Reheat before serving, add a swirl of fresh cream and sprinkle with herbs. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Karen Schneider cooks and writes in the village of Cundy’s Harbor. You can reach her at iwrite33@comcast.net.