Cranberry Curd

 I think my jaw literally dropped when I turned to page 108 of December's Cooking Light, and saw a Mason jar full of delectably smooth, Christmas-red cranberry curd, with the subtitle, "share this tangy treat."  Or don't, and eat the entire contents with my fingers!

The recipe looked simple, and make-ahead, which made her perfect for one of my Christmas Eve appetizers!  We served her with cream cheese and baguette slices, and she was definitely the belle of the ball.  I don't think I've ever genderized a recipe before, but this one, definitely a lady.  Not only gorgeous and delicious, but thoughtful!  The curd is thick and smooth like a cream, but also tart and low in fat (see nutritional info below) - so perfect for starting off a new year! 

We used up the whole batch on bread, but CL suggests this is also excellent swirled into Greek yogurt or oatmeal.  Guess I'll just have to make some more.

 Cranberry Curd (print recipe)
Makes 2 1/2 cups

1/2 cup water
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 T unsalted butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 T cranberry juice or Grand Marnier

1.  Combine water, lemon juice, and cranberries in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until cranberries pop.  Place cranberry mixture in a food processor; process until smooth.  Strain cranberry mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids.  (Mine was too thick to strain, so I just used it all.  Solids were pretty well processed.)

2.  Combine sugars and butter in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined (yum.)  Add egg yolks and egg, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in cranberry mixture, cornstarch, and salt.

 Place mixture in the top of a double boiler.  Cook over simmering water until a thermometer registers 160 degrees and mixture thickens (about 10 minutes), stirring frequently.  Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.  Stir in juice/liqueur.  Cover and refrigerate up to 1 week.

Hazel was quite the kitchen helper over winter break!

Per 2 tablespoons: Cal 67; Fat 1.9g; Prot 0.7g; Carb 12.1g; Fib 0.8g; Chol 35g; Iron 0.2mg; Sod 20mg; Calc 8mg

Recipe from Cooking Light, December 2012

1 year ago:  Chocolate Clementine Cake with Hot Chocolate Sauce
2 years ago:  Seriously Real Instant Hot Chocolate
3 years ago:  Irish Oatmeal

Apple-Cranberry Pie

 No clever prose for this one, my dears.  This one was requested for Thanksgiving, and while I'm skimming it by the hair of my chinny chin chin, I hope you will still be able to make it.  Because cranberries and apples, always excellent.  And this comes from last year's pie night winner, and she seriously knows pies.

Apple-Cranberry Pie (print recipe)

8 oz. (2 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries

1/4 c orange juice

1 c plus 1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c water

1 Tbsp cornstarch

3 1/2 lbs Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored,and sliced 1/4 in thick

1 recipe double-crust pie dough

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1. Bring cranberries, orange juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp salt to boil in medium saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally and pressing berries against side of pot, until berries have completely broken down and juices have thickened to jam-like consistency, about 10-12 minutes. Off heat, stir in water and let cool to room temp., about 30 min. Can be stored in refrigerator up to 2 days.

2. Meanwhile, mix 1/2 cup sugar, remaining 1/4 tsp cinnamon, remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, and cornstarch together in large bowl. Add apples and toss to combine. Cover and microwave, stirring with rubber spatula every 3 minutes, until apples are just starting to turn translucent around edges and liquid is thick and glossy, 10-14 min. Let cool to room temp., about 30 minutes. Can be stored in fridge up to 2 days.

3. While fillings cool, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Roll 1 disk of dough into 12 in. circle on lightly floured counter. Loosely roll dough around rolling pin and gently unroll it onto 9-in. pie plate, letting excess dough hang over edge. Leave any dough that overhangs in place. Wrap dough-lined pie plate loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes. Roll other disk of dough into 12-in. circle on lightly floured counter, then transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 min.

4. Spread cooled cranberry mixture into even layer in dough-lined pie plate. Place apple mixture on top of cranberries, mounding in center. Loosely roll remaining dough round around rolling pin and gently unroll it onto filling. Trim overhang to 1/2 in beyond lip of pie plate. Pinch edges of top and bottom crusts firmly together. Cut four 2-in. slits in top of dough. Brush surface with egg white and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar.

5. Place pie on heated baking sheet and bake until crust is light golden brown, about 25 min. Reduce oven temp. to 375, rotate baking sheet and continue baking until juices are bubbling and crust is deep golden brown, 25-30 min. Let pie cool on wire rack until filling has set, about 2 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temp.

Recipe from the Cook's Illustrated Cookbook

Crustless Cranberry Pie (a.k.a. "Cranberry Awesomeness")

I'm deeply sorry I don't have a "slice" picture for this pie.  It came a little later than the others, and I forgot to "slice-and-shoot" before we gobbled it all up.  But this was one of my favorites of the night.  I asked her, "What's this called, Cranberry Awesomeness?"  She said she liked that and wouldn't tell me the real name.

Which led to a DC discussion of how I say "awesome" way too much, and even my iPhone signature says, "Sent from Awesomeland."  While it is anything but true, it conveys what I want it to.  Then someone said that she recently said, "awesome" in a conversation and got called out on it, and told "awesome" is dated and not on conversational trend anymore.  To which I reply, whatevs.  It's a classic that has not gone the way of rad or gnarly, but risen in the colloquial ranks to rub shoulders with the likes of cool.  To which my brother, who lived in England for three years, said, when a Brit wants to sound American, they always say, "Awesome!"  Which proves my point.  I think.

Regardless, I mean to bestow my highest praises on this cake-ish pie when I call it awesome.  Awesomeness.  I envision having it for a light breakfast Thanksgiving morning, snacking on it with a bit of milk or herbal tea while the heavy cooking gets underway.  Or as a dessert the same day, with a dab of cream, letting the tart berries burst on your palate surrounded by sweet almond-scented crumbs.  I've just done such a good job describing it, I might have to go make me some right now.

Crustless Cranberry Pie (a.k.a. "Cranberry Awesomeness") (print recipe)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 inch pie pan.

2.  Combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir in the cranberries and the walnuts, and toss to coat. Stir in the butter, beaten eggs, and almond extract. If you are using frozen cranberries, the mixture will be very thick. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

3.  Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Recipe from Allrecipes.com

1 year ago:  Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
2 years ago:  Mini Frittatas
3 years ago:  500 Kinds of Popcorn

Cranberry Lime Scones

ZZZZ-I-N-G!

 I'm on a scone kick.  I went a-hunting on Food Gawker and printed off seven scones I think I can't live without.  For starters.

The first one I tried, Maple Bacon Brown Sugar Scones, was such a resounding success that I just kept on going.  These were my second.  And I loved them SO MUCH that I made them twice in one week - almost unheard of around here in the land of Nearly No Repeats.  I've since made a third from my stack, and it needs some tweaking before I share...watch this space.

But in the meantime, I've been reminded of a few scone basics:

• They are SUPER fast and easy!
• Handle the dough minimally - that means no more stirring than necessary and definitely no kneading or rolling.  
• Grate the butter - it's about equally dangerous as cutting cold butter into small pieces, but it gets the pieces more uniform, and thin enough for easy cutting into the dry ingredients.  Plus it's super fast.  Just grate it at the beginning and place in the freezer until you need it.
• Scones can come in any shape - wedge (my preference), square, diamond, round, or really any cookie cutter shape you want to try.  But they do puff/spread a bit so keep it simple.

 The dough here is sweet enough to handle the zingy cranberry and lime, but I do like the indulgent addition of lime glaze, or at the very least, a sprinkle of coarse sugar.  What.  A.  Treat.  The first time we made them, an afterschool snack.  The second, New Year's breakfast.  I think scones are the new cupcake.  You can quote me on that.

Cranberry Lime Scones (print recipe)

Makes 8 to 10

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar (plus 3 T additional to toss with cranberries)
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 T unsalted butter, grated and very cold
2 T freshly grated lime zest (about 2 to 3 limes)
1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup heavy cream

Lime Glaze:
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 cup powdered sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 400F, and grease a large baking sheet.  Grate the butter and place in the freezer until ready to use.  Zest the limes and set aside.  Coarsely chop the cranberries and place in a small bowl with 3 T sugar. 

2.  In a large bowl combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in the lime zest.  Stir the cranberries into the flour mixture.  Combine the egg, yolk and cream, then add to the flour mixture, stirring just until combined. 

3.  On a well-floured surface with floured hands, gently pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round (about 8 inches in diameter).  With a sharp knife or pizza cutter cut the scones into wedges or diamonds as desired.  use your hands to gently shape any leftover scraps into scones.  Do NOT roll out.  Place scones on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

4.  For Lime Glaze: In a small bowl combine the lime juice, lime zest and enough powdered sugar to reach your desired consistency.  Drizzle or brush glaze over warm scones and allow to cool.

Recipe from SprinkledwithFlour.com

Cranberry Christmas Sandies

Well I best get these posted tout de suite or else they'll have to wait a year; rolled in Christmas nonpareils, they would just look stupid any other month.  I made these for my neighbor goody plates.  Which I took pictures of.  Which my camera erased.  So here's the stock photo off the internet.  But mine looked just like these!

Regular sandies are not my #1 favorite cookie - they're so bland and taste like flour.  But I was intrigued to find a sandy with lemon and cranberry - that is a crumbly cookie I can get behind!  The recipe worked like clockwork, and this time, I didn't mind them melting in my mouth.  ZING, wowza!  I've got my new Christmas Sandies!

Cranberry Christmas Sandies (print recipe)
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
White, red and green nonpareils

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.  Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium for 30 seconds.  Add powdered sugar.  Beat until combined, scraping bowl.  Beat in vanilla.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in the cranberries, lemon peel, and any remaining flour.

2.  Shape mixture into 1/2-, 3/4-, or 1-inch balls.  Roll dough balls in nonpareils.  Arrange balls 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.

3.  Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes for 1/2-inch balls, 13 minutes for 3/4-inch balls, or 15 minutes for 1-inch balls or until bottoms of cookies are light brown.  Transfer to wire racks and let cool.  Makes about 144 (1/2-inch) cookies, 72 (3/4-inch) cookies, or 36 (1-inch) cookies.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Steamy Sip #4: Cranberry Tea

Just look at that color.  That, my friends, is the kind of Steamy Sip you get from fresh cranberries.  Dry, tart, and spicy, this is.  It was so clean and energizing when we drank it warm.  And when I drank it the next morning for breakfast, cold and spicy, it was beyond description.  Probably the only Steamy Sip I will promote as even better cold.  I just might freeze up some cranberries to make this next summer. 

Cranberry Tea (print recipe)
2 cups fresh cranberries
8 cups water
2 T raw honey
1 lemon, juiced
10 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick

In a pot, combine water and cranberries and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Add honey, lemon juice, cloves and cinnamon stick.  Turn off heat, cover and steep for 1 hour.  Strain out cranberries, cloves and cinnamon stick.  Drink right away or store in a pitcher in the fridge for a few days.  When serving, add more honey, to taste.  Serve hot or cold.  Makes 8 cups.

Cranberry-Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

 Our family has a tradition that every day-after-Thanksgiving we gather at my aunt & uncle's house for "Lefse Day."  They make lefse (a Norwegian flatbread) from leftover mashed potatoes and we all bring our leftover pies, and we eat turkey, stuffing and whatever else wraps in lefse and then eat a bunch of desserts.  It's a hard life. 

I took the opportunity to try two new dessert recipes, both of which were awesome, and both of which we obviously needed because we only had this many pies:

 Like I said, it's a hard life.  This year it was also like the christening of my aunt & uncle's amazing new kitchen renovation/addition that they need and deserve, as their ELEVEN kids are mostly adults and many now bringing two and three children in tow when they visit.  It's so fun to see all the next generation playing together.  While I sit and eat lots of pie.  And trade funny insults with my brother.  Who I am SO glad is back from England.  We also cooked up - and executed - a pretty good practical joke.  Which I cannot confess to on this public forum.  I digress.

One that I made is this chocolate-crusted, chocolate-cranberry-swirled round of creamy nirvana.  Definitely one of my favorite cheesecakes I've made.  I'm really into cranberries this season, too.  Oh, and did you see the cranberry cream pie in the pic above?  One of my cousins made it.  I was super flattered. 

 Cranberry-Chocolate Cheesecake (print recipe)
2 cups fresh cranberries, picked over
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
2/3 cup cranberry or orange juice
1 1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies
3 T all-purpose flour, divided
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1.  Prepare cranberry sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, 3/4 cup sugar, and cranberry or orange juice.  Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture comes to boiling; reduce heat.  Boil gently, uncovered, for 3 to 4 minutes or until cranberries pop, stirring occasionally.  Cool to room temperature.  (Makes 1 3/4 cups.)

2.  Preheat oven to 375.  For crust, in a medium bowl, combine crushed chocolate cookies and 1 T flour; stir in melted butter.  Press mixture evenly onto the bottom and 1 1/2 to 2 inches up the side of a 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

3.  For filling, in a large bowl, combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, vanilla and the remaining 2 T flour.  Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined.  Add eggs and milk; beat just until combined.  Divide filling in half.

4.  Stir 3/4 cup of the cranberry sauce into melted chocolate; stir chocolate mixture into half of the filling.  Pour chocolate filling into crust-lined pan, spreading evenly.  Spoon plain filling over chocolate filling; swirl gently to marble.

5.  Place springform pan in a shallow baking dish.  Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a 2 1/2-inch area around the outside edge appears set when gently shaken.

6.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Using a small knife, loosen crust from side of pan; cool for 30 minutes.  Remove side of pan; cool cheesecake completely on rack.  Cover and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.  Serve with remaining cranberry sauce.  Makes 12 servings.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Baking magazine, December 2010

Cranberry Cream Pie

 Here's one of the pies I made for Dessert Club.  In choosing my pies, rather than browsing recipes like I usually do, I thought first, "What kind of pie do I want to eat?"  Then went looking for a recipe.

I already have a great crust from Baking Illustrated, so check.  Then I remembered a disappointing pear-cranberry pie I made last year and I thought, yeah, I still really want a great cranberry pie for my repertoire.  (I knew Dave was making pear raspberry so pear was covered.)  I didn't want cranberry-sauce-in-a-crust, but I still wanted cranberry.  I mentioned this to Dave in one of our pie powow sessions and he said he just happened to have the thing.  One of his cookbooks that they have liked had a Cranberry Cream Pie, and in Cider Beans, Wild Greens and Dandelion Jelly, Joan Aller said this was a standout star on her Thanksgiving table.   

 I loved the beautiful simplicity of it - cranberries, sugar, and a little white custard.  Not only is it holiday-gorgeous (and I love that little sugary crust on top), but it is just-tart-just-sweet enough, a little creamy, and Dave liked that the cranberries remain mostly whole, so you can create your own perfect bite (with a little extra whipped cream if you need it.)  So whether it's Thanksgiving, Lefse Day (a post-Thanksgiving tradition in our family), St. Lucia Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year's, the Super Bowl or even Groundhog's Day, you have plenty of chances to thrill your friends and family with this out-of-the-ordinary holiday pie.

 Cranberry Cream Pie (print recipe)

One unbaked 9-inch single pie crust
Fresh or frozen cranberries (about one 12-ounce bag, rinsed and picked over)
1 cup sugar, DIVIDED
1 heaping Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 egg white
1 cup heavy cream

1.  Preheat oven to 425.  Spread a thick layer of cranberries in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.  This comes to about a handful less than a full 12-ounce bag.  Cover the cranberries with 1/3 cup sugar.  (Or use all the cranberries and a little more sugar.)

2.  In a medium bowl, sift together the remaining 2/3 cup sugar and the flour.  In another medium bowl, beat the egg white until stiff peaks form, then fold it into the sugar mixture.  Slowly stir in the cream until fully incorporated. 

3.  Pour the cream mixture over the cranberries (they will float to the top.)  Bake the pie at 425 for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 and bake for about 40 minutes more until the custard is set.  Let cool on a wire rack.

Recipe from Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly: Recipes from Southern Appalachia by Joan E. Aller

City Bakery Apple-Raspberry Upside-Down Cake

Are you picking up on a theme this month? I'm posting all the cakey things I made in December that didn't really fit in the goody plate groove. Plus we are getting into birthday season at my house so should just get used to lots of cakes and cupcakes in the next few months.

I felt like making this cake was a huge risk. I don't have a lot of upside-down cake experience and I really didn't know how it would turn out, much less taste. And I've never had City Bakery's original so I can't compare.

Luckily, and I do feel in some ways it was truly luck, it was magnificent. Really beautiful, moist vanilla butter cake topped with this warm halo of festive fruits. We served it at room temperature with whipped cream and it was divine. As a further measure of it's acceptability, we served it to company and all the kids liked it.
City Bakery Apple-Raspberry Upside-Down Cake
Fruit Topping:
1 1/2 cups diced peeled apples (I used a combination of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious)
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cranberry or apple juice
2 T cornstarch

Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup plus 2 T sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Generously spray a 7-inch cakepan or an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Spray the paper with more nonstick spray. Place pan on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (seriously, do - the topping may leak a bit.)

2. For fruit topping, toss all ingredients in a medium bowl and then spoon into prepared pan.

3. For cake, in a mixer bowl cream butter with sugar until well-blended and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and blend well. Fold in dry ingredients and blend well. Spoon batter over fruit in cakepan.

4. Bake until firm and cake springs back slightly when gently pressed with fingertips, 50 to 65 minutes. Cool 15 minutes and then invert cake onto a serving plate. Carefully peel off parchment paper circle. Serve just warm or at room temperature.

Recipe from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

Click here for printable recipe

Cranberry Muffins

Oooh, you are going to love me for these! You may be thinking these muffins look familiar. You are paying attention! Yes, they are the winter cousin of the most awesome blueberry muffins ever.

I really wanted to make a fresh cranberry muffin, but I was having a hard time finding a recipe that looked trustworthy. Then I realized, duh, I already have the best muffin recipe ever. Cranberries aren't too different from blueberries - more tart, less juicy - but that can be compensated for. Just strategically added a little more sugar, some orange juice and some orange zest instead of lemon. Ta-da! Now we can have the best-muffins-ever all year round!

Cranberry Muffins
Orange Sugar Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
2-3 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

Muffins:
2 cups (about 10 ounces) fresh cranberries, picked over and divided
1 1/8 cups (8 ounces) plus 6 teaspoon sugar, divided
2 T orange juice
2 1/2 cups (12½ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour (if you have a scale, weigh it, don't measure it - it's worth it)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk *
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
*If buttermilk is unavailable, substitute 3/4 cup plain whole-milk or low-fat yogurt thinned with 1/4 cup milk.

1. Bring 1 cup cranberries, 4 teaspoons sugar and 2 T orange juice to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with spoon (I used my potato masher) several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to ¼ cup, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

3. For the topping: Stir together sugar and orange zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.

4. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. Roughly chop remaining 1 cup cranberries and toss with 2 tsp sugar; set aside.

5. Whisk remaining 1 1/8 cups sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until combined, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and chopped cranberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not over mix.)

6. Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly).

7. Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter. Using small spoon (or spoon handle), gently swirl berry filling into batter. Sprinkle orange sugar evenly over muffins.

8. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 15 to 19 minutes (don't over bake), rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving. Makes 12 muffins
Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Click here for PRINTABLE RECIPE

Cranberry Walnut Bread

This is so close to my favorite Cinnamon Raisin bread that I hesitated to even post it. But it is a little different. I mean, it has cranberries and walnuts instead of raisins for one. Plus I got it from a different source, so that makes it a different recipe. I am always, always collecting good recipes for my bread machine so even though it is close, I'm calling it a different recipe.

It fills the house with cinnamon goodness while it cooks and is great with dinner, breakfast, toasted, French toast, snack, etc. The day I made it, I started it a little too late to have it with dinner but we could smell it while we ate, so when it did come out the kids asked for a piece for dessert. It was all soft and stretchy and warm - who could blame them? It was one of the best desserts we'd had in awhile (and in my house, that is saying something.)

Cranberry Walnut Bread
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 1/2 tsp butter, softened
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups bread flour
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. In bread machine pan, place the first seven ingredients (water through yeast) in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting; choose crust color and size setting (1.5 lb loaf.) Bake.

2. Just before final kneading (most machines beep), add the walnuts and cranberries.

*Sorry no picture. It was just one of those days. Use your imagination.

Recipe from Quick Cooking, Sept/Oct 2004

Good Mood Cranberry Bread

Sometimes you need a nice mini loaf to round out your goody plate...especially if you bought deceptively large give-away platters at the dollar store like I did. I had that need this week, coupled with a cranberry craving, so voila - cranberry bread it is.

I call it Good Mood Cranberry Bread because it just put me in one while making it. Orange is a naturally energizing aromatherapist, and you get it straight from the source when you zest one - go ahead, breathe deeply! Then there's the bright sweet-tart cranberries which are just gorgeous and thrill the taste buds. This bread is just the thing to wake you up on a cold morning or snap you out of a blue winter mood.Good Mood Cranberry Bread
Makes 2 full-size loaves or 6 mini loaves
Bread:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 T baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup cold butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups orange juice
4 tsp grated orange peel (I just zested one large one and called it good)
2 cups chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup golden raisins

Streusel:
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
6 T (1/3 cup plus 1 T) all-purpose flour
4 T (1/4 cup) cold butter

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
4 tsp orange juice, or enough to make glazey consistency

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray loaf pans with cooking spray and dust with flour (I like the spray that has flour in it.)

2. In a large bowl combine the first five ingredients; cut butter in until crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, orange juice, and peel. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in cranberries and raisins. Divide dough between two 8x4-inch loaf pans, or six mini loaf pans.

3. Combine brown sugar and flour for streusel. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake for 55-65 minutes (38-45 minutes for minis) or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. For glaze, combine confectioners' sugar and orange juice until smooth. Drizzle over bread.Recipe adapted from Taste of Home, Oct/Nov 2009

Cranberry-Pear Bars (by Kat)

Another winning mix of flavors not seen often enough! The sweetness of the pear is perfect coupled with the tartness of the cranberries. And for me, the star of the show is actually the frosting, and I'm not such a frosting girl! The combination of the orange and cinnamon is so yummy. Not such a surprise since those two friends make an excellent pairing in tea, but it really made me wonder why I don't combine them more often in baking. That needs to be fixed!

These bad boys are more of a cake than a bar cookie, so I don't think they would work well as part of a goody plate ensemble. They would be great to bring to a holiday potluck or to close a holiday meal - they're moist but not too dense, with just the right level of sweetness to make a nice dessert. Or a nice snack, say, as you walk through the kitchen.

While mixing these, I kept checking the recipe to see if I'd forgotten something. Nope, they really are this simple. I didn't bother thawing the cranberries - I'm not the most patient girl - and I also gave them a rough chop. For the frosting, I made a basic butter cream frosting and added 2 T of orange juice concentrate instead of the orange zest. (Are you listening, Santa, I really need a new micro-plane grater!) I don't have a jelly roll pan (again, Santa!), so I just baked these in a 9x13 pan, which worked well but required slightly longer in the oven to cook through.Cranberry-Pear Bars
1 white or yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 T finely grated orange peel
1 firm pear, peeled, cored and diced
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Easy Orange Frosting (see recipe below)
Ground cinnamon, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 15x10x1 baking pan.

2. In a large bowl combine the cake mix, eggs, melted butter and orange peel. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds or until combined. Fold in the chopped pear, cranberries and pecans.

3. Spread mixture in the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Frost with Easy Orange Frosting. If desired, sprinkle with ground cinnamon on top. Cut into bars; makes 48.

Easy Orange Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine one 15 to 16 ounce can of vanilla frosting (or better yet make your own), 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp grated orange peel.

To store: place bars in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, December 2009

Apricot Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

In Penzey's spice store, there are cardboard stands on top of the shelves, offering tear-off recipes using featured spices. They change the recipes about every month, and I love collecting my little stack every time I go.

Last time I went I found this little gem of a recipe for oatmeal cookies with NO RAISINS but such exotics as mace and, that's right, coriander. I do not dig raisins in very many things, including oatmeal cookies. But dried cranberries and dried apricots make a different case altogether.

This is by far my favorite oatmeal cookie; my new go-to. Awesome chewy texture, perfect flavors, though frankly next time I might double every spice - I like to really taste them!
Apricot Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground mace
1/2 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
1/4 cup dried apricots, diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment or silpat.

2. Cream together sugars and butter. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture a bit at a time, mixing well after each addition.

4. Mix together the pecans, apricots and cranberries in the bowl that used to hold the flour. Alternate adding the oatmeal and fruit/nut mix to the batter, mixing well after each addition.

5. Form walnut-sized balls of dough and place on cookie sheets. Bake for about 12 minutes, keeping dough in refrigerator between batches. Let cool on tray; if you try to move them while still hot they will fall apart. Makes about 27 cookies

Chocolate Everything Cookies

These puppies were originally named "Ultimate Chocolate Comfort Cookies." And while they are very good cookies, I think that name somehow misses the mark. I would describe them as more exciting than comforting. But they are definitely show-stopping, and a huge hit with the kids in our playgroup. I renamed them "Everything Cookies" because it's such an interesting ingredient list - cream cheese, cranberries, chocolate, nuts and even marshmallow cream (a first for me in cookies!)

But they all come together splendidly to make one totally fun, and plenty chocolatey, goody!

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2 T milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups plus 2 T all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa or regular cocoa powder
1 cup marshmallow cream
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups semisweet chocolate mega-morsels or white chocolate morsels (or 1 cup of each)
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries (like Craisins)

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line baking sheets with parchment or Silpats.

2. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg, beating well. Add melted chocolate, milk and vanilla; beat well.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder; add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in marshmallow cream and remaining ingredients, mixing well. I didn't mix too well at this point; I wanted the marshmallow cream to be a little swirly for fun.4. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 13 minutes or until done. Cool 1 minute on cookies sheets; remove to wire racks and cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen.

Recipe from Oxmoor House, January 1999

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes with Cranberry Citrus Sauce

I'm not always a fan of strong whole wheat flavor, but these pancakes are really half wheat, half white. They also earned 5 out of 5 stars from 29 reviewers on MyRecipes, including me, and caused Ed to exclaim unprovoked, "Wow, these are delicious!" Try them with Cranberry Citrus Sauce, buttermilk syrup, or any topping you like. These may just become your new standard flapjack.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes
from Cooking Light, April 2002

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 T sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups low fat buttermilk
1 T vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Cooking spray

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl; stir with whisk. Combine wet ingredients, stirring with whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Heat griddle and coat with cooking spray. Spoon 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle - cook, flip, cook until perfect. Makes about 12 pancakes

Cranberry Citrus Sauce
from Cooking Light, December 2006

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
2 T fresh orange juice
2 tsp grated lime rind
2 T fresh lime juice
2 tsp butter

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over med-high heat; cook 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; stir in cranberries, orange juice, rind, and lime juice. Cook 5 minutes or until mixture foams and cranberries pop. Remove from heat; stir in butter. Makes 1 1/4 cups

(Sorry no picture - we actually gobbled them up before I remembered!)

VGP #27 Citrus-Drizzled Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

I'm thinking of the Friends episode in which Phoebe told Rachel she makes the best oatmeal raisin cookies in the world. Rachel takes a bite, loves them, and wants to know why she's never had them before.

Phoebe's classic answer: "Oh, I don't make them a lot because I don't think it's fair to the other cookies."

Well I don't make oatmeal cookies a lot either, mostly because if it's a choice between making cookies with chocolate or without chocolate, I always choose the chocolate. Sometimes I put oatmeal in my chocolate chip cookies. But as we've seen this month I've branched out a little, and this citrus-y cookie from Cooking Light (December 2006) caught my eye. I do like dried cranberries better than raisins, and I do also love a lemony glaze.

You couldn't ask for more in an oatmeal cookie. The spices are just right, the cranberries are tart and festive, and the drizzle gives you a zing on the tastebuds before you even take a bite. They are crisp on the outside, soft inside, and overall a delicious addition to any goody plate or glass of milk. Mmmm...

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
Cooking spray

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 T fresh lemon juice
2 tsp grated orange rind

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with knife. Combine flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a bowl.

2. Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter in a large bowl; beat with mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture and cranberries; beat at low speed until combined.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (or I like to use a cookie scoop.) Place balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray or parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes or until almost firm. Let stand on baking sheets 2 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets, and cool completely on wire rack.

4. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice and orange rind in a small bowl, whisking until smooth. Spoon mixture into a ziploc bag and snip the corner; drizzle glaze over cooled cookies.

VGP #2 Cranberry-Orange Pinwheels

These lovely chill-and-slice cookies are slightly time intensive, with the double chill, so just plan ahead. They are worth it, though. The bright, tart cranberry is perfectly complimented by the sweet orange butter cookie. Totally festive, too.

Got this one from Better Homes and Gardens 100 Best Cookies magazine, which also included this helpful hint regarding slice-and-bake cookies like these: "To prevent rolled dough from becoming lopsided, cut in half if longer than 8 inches. Wrap rolls in plastic wrap and twist ends to seal. Place wrapped rolls in tall drinking glasses. Lay the glasses on their sides while chilling in the fridge. When you slice, use a sharp, thin-bladed knife in a sawing motion and rotate the dough roll frequently to avoid flattening one side." I tried it, it works.

1 cup cranberries
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 tsp finely shredded orange peel
3 cups all purpose flour

1. For filling, in a blender or food processor combine cranberries, pecans and brown sugar. Cover and blend or process until cranberries and nuts are finely chopped; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and orange peel until combined. Add flour and mix in. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

3. Roll half of dough between pieces of waxed paper into a 10-inch square. Spread half of the filling over dough square to within 1/2 inch of edges; roll up dough. Moisten edges; pinch to seal. Wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 4 to 24 hours. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

4. Preheat oven to 375. Cut rolls into 1/4-inch slices; place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are light brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to wire rack; cool. Makes about 60.