Irish Treacle Bread

3 cups plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2/3 cup molasses

Sift flour, salt, soda and sugar into a bowl and mix well. Put shortening, buttermilk and molasses into blender amd mix well. Pour liquid mixture over dry ingredients and mix all until dough is of consisitency to knead. Turn out on floured board adn knead for about 1 minute. Pat into greased, heavy skillet or 8-inch cake pan. Put gashes across top to form an "X." Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. The bread can be served warm with whipped cream or ice cream or cold with butter and jam.

[Newspaper clipping. Additional notes: "'At times we had a brown cake or apple cake,' recalled Blakey. 'I found this recipe for Irish Treacle Bread, which sounds the same as the brown cake, in the St. Daniels Women's Guild Cookbook.'"