Christmas Cranberry Conserve + Blue Monday + Ruby Tuesday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We had duck for dinner tonight, and, as is my habit when serving duck or goose, I made a fruit conserve to serve alongside it. I've found that a conserve or chutney helps clear the palate when rich or potentially fatty foods are eaten. A conserve is a fruit spread, much like a fruit preserve, save for the fact that it contains a mixture of fruits and no pectin is required to set it. Only a handful of ingredients are required to make conserves and they really are easy to prepare. I chose cranberries to make ours this evening. While they are seasonal and add great color to the table, the berries were selected more for their tartness than their seasonality. The cranberry is a perfect foil for potentially fatty fowl and the berries make a marvelous conserve. This spread is almost foolproof to make. The only thing you can do to spoil it is to cook it for too long a period of time. Overcooking produces too much juice and excess liquid will keep the conserve from setting. I added raisins and nuts to mine to make it a bit more festive. Here's the recipe.

Christmas Cranberry Conserve...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Mildred Banker and Taste of Home

Ingredients:
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, halved or very coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
2 oranges, peeled, sliced and quartered
1 cup raisins
1-1/4 cup water
1 cup chopped pecans
2-1/2 cups sugar

Directions:
1) In a large saucepan, combine cranberries, orange zest, oranges, raisins and water. Cover and simmer over medium heat until cranberries are soft, about 5 minutes.
2) Add pecans and sugar; stir well. Simmer, uncovered, 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Cool. Spoon into covered containers. Refrigerate. Serve as a relish with poultry or pork, or spread on biscuits or rolls. Yield: 3 pints.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Fig Jam Preserves - My Man's Belly
Relish the Thought - Stacey Snacks
Cranberry Chutney - Closet Cooking
Brandied Apple Conserve - Foodista
Plum Conserve - Simply Recipes
Honey Pear Conserve - Mermaids Treasures

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Work of the Poet: Ruby Tuesday

Cranberry Glazed Pork Roast

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love the taste and flavor of pork, as well as the ease with which it can be prepared. Chops and tenderloins are perfectly sized for today's smaller families and even the larger loins can be cut to prevent endless leftovers. Pork is also inexpensive. Our warehouse store sells large single loins for about $2 a pound. Most of the loins weigh 8 to 9 pounds each and can be cut into meal size portions that are more appropriate for today's families. I usually divide these loins into thirds and freeze them for later use as whim dictates. Unfortunately, I usually spend the money I save buying meat this way on ingredients with which to sauce it. When I prepare a loin for roasting, I tie the meat into a cylinder of uniform size and brown it before roasting. I cook my pork loin to an internal temperature of 140 degrees. When I take it out of the oven, I tent it in foil and let it sit for another 15 minutes. The roast continues to cook and at the end of the rest period it will reach 150 - 155 degrees, a perfect temperature for pork. I've been experimenting with cranberries lately and I wanted to use them to make a glaze that could be used for pork or chicken. I finally have come up with one I think is acceptable and a somewhat different than standard fare. It is a bit pricey, but it is wonderfully flavorful and will give your palate a joyful jolt. I've left the berries whole for the photograph, but the sauce can be strained and you may actually prefer to use it that way. Here's the recipe for cranberry glazed roast pork.

Cranberry Glazed Roast Pork...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Glaze
1 (12-oz.) bag fresh cranberries
1/3 cup chopped fresh ginger
Zest and juice of 1 large orange
1 cup sugar
1-1/4 cups cranberry juice
1/4 cup orange liqueur
Roast
1 ( 2-1/2 to 3 pound) center cut boneless pork loin
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided use
4 teaspoons coarse garlic salt
2 teaspoons coarsely cracked fresh pepper
2 teaspoons dried marjoram

Directions:
1) To prepare glaze: Combine cranberries, ginger, sugar, orange zest and orange and cranberry juices in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and cook until cranberries burst and sauce thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes. If you wish, strain through a fine mesh sieve and allow to cool. When cool add orange liqueur.
2) To prepare roast: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using kitchen twine, tie roast at 1-inch intervals to form a cylinder of uniform circumference. Rub all surface of roast with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Rub cylinder with all of salt pepper and marjoram. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large, heavy ovenproof skillet. Add pork and sear all surfaces well. Brush pork with glaze. Transfer skillet to oven and bake for 15 minutes. Brush again with glaze and cook for another 20 minutes, or until pork reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Remove from oven. Brush again with glaze, tent with foil and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Yield: 6 servings.

You might also like these recipes:
Maple Rosemary Glazed Pork - What's Cookin, Chicago?
Pork Tenderloin with Honey Glazed Apples -Food and Whine
Pan Roasted Pork Chops with Cranberries and Swiss Chard - Dinner Du Jour
Slow Cooker Pork Chops - The Hungry Housewife
Roast Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Figs - Verses from my Kitchen
Pork Milanese - Bored Cook in the Kitchen

Cranberry Layered Cheesecake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I was seduced by its color and because I'm weak, this five layered cranberry confection ended up on my table. I normally don't make desserts that are this involved. As a matter of fact, I rarely make cheesecakes at all. I love them, mind you. I just can't convince myself that the protein packed into all that cream cheese offsets the fat and calories that keep the protein company. The first time I saw this cake was on the table of an accomplished cake decorator. It was gorgeous and its garnet glow snared me before reason could take hold. I made a homely version of the cake, one precious time consuming layer at a time, and thought that would be the end of it. I never dreamed Bob would like it. He did and now I'm dealing with a case of unintended consequences. I'll have to make the cake again. The cake begins with an almond flavored crust that is partially filled with a sweetened cheese custard and then topped with a cranberry filling. The garnet layer is then smothered with the rest of the custard before being topped with sweetened sour cream. The cake bakes a considerable while, and then is cooled and chilled for a considerable while, before a final layer of cranberries crown the cake and decorations of almond whipped cream are applied. It is a lovely tangy cake that provides irresistible color on the holiday table. The recipe was developed by Teri Rasey for Taste of Home magazine. Despite the work, I'm glad to recommend this cake to you. I've made a few changes to the original recipe. which you can find here. My version of the recipe appears below. I suggest that you add salt and almond extract to the crust and that you eliminate the ground almonds from the whipped cream. Let the cake chill for 24 hours before serving. This is a very nice recipe and, if you like cheesecake, it will be a great addition to your files. Here's how it's made.

Cranberry Layered Cheesecake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Teri Rasey and Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
Pastry Layer
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
Cranberry Layer
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cranberry juice
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
Cream Cheese Layer
4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Sour Cream Topping
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Whipped Cream Topping
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:
1) In a food processor, finely chop dried cranberries. Add flour, almonds and confectioners' sugar, salt and almond extract; process until blended. Add butter; pulse just until crumbly.
2) Press onto the bottom and 1-1/2 in. up sides of a greased 10-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
3) In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar and cornstarch; stir in cranberry juice until smooth. Add berries. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Set aside.
4) In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, vanilla and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat just until combined. Pour half of batter into crust. Carefully spoon 3/4 cup berry mixture over batter; top with remaining batter.
5) Bake for 45 minutes. Reduce heat to 250°. Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until center is almost set. Combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla; spread over top. Bake 20-30 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Spread remaining berry mixture over the top. Refrigerate overnight.
6) Beat cream with sugar and almond extract until stiff peaks form. Pipe around top edge of cheesecake. Yield: 16 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Caramel Cheesecake - Wild Yeast
Mini Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecakes - Dessarts
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie - The Sweet's Life
German Cheesecake - Anja's Food 4 Thought
Pumpkin Toffee Cheesecake - The Other Side of 50
Pumpkin Cheesecake - Simply Recipes

Rocks - Chunky Oatmeal Cookies with Walnuts and Cranberries

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The only "rocks" that are better than these are diamonds. I know I confound people when I direct them to the sites of test kitchens operated by food manufacturers. Lots of us think that a recipe that appears on the back of a box is something that doesn't deserve a second glance. I suspect we forget the time, effort and repeated experiments that have led to its publication by the manufacturer. I found this recipe on the Diamond Nuts website and once I tried them they replaced what had been my favorite oatmeal cookie. My family loves them as well and they have become permanent residents in my cookie jar. We joke that they are never-stale cookies. They just don't last long enough for that to happen. I think you like them too. Here's the recipe for a new take on a favorite old-fashioned cookie.

Chunky Oatmeal Cookies with Walnuts and Cranberries...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Diamond Nuts

Ingredients:
3 cups Diamond Walnuts
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To toast walnuts, spread evenly on a baking sheet or in a shallow pan. Bake, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Coarsely chop and set aside.
2) In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and oats; add to sugar mixture and stir well to combine. Stir in dried cranberries and toasted walnuts.
3) Drop cookie dough by tablespoonfuls onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 36 cookies.

You might also like these recipes:
Banana-Maple Oatmeal Cookies - Food and Whine
Oatmeal Coconut Cookies - Angie's Recipes
Famous Oatmeal Cookies - Katy's Kitchen
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies - Baking Bites
Frosted Oatmeal Cookies - The Daily Dish
Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies - Be Delicious
Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies - Good Things Catered

Cranberry Cocktails - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There was a time when I'd have blanched if asked to bring wine or drinks to a party. In my mind, there was always something about that request that indicated incompetence or the inability to cook. I'm no longer quite so proud and was delighted when asked to supply libations for a party we'll be attending this Sunday. We live on the West coast, so, for us, the Academy Awards begin and end at a human hour and allow us plenty of time for people watching and raucous rounds of applause or cat-calls. We do eat, but on this occasion fancy drinks become slightly more important than they might otherwise be. One of the drinks I've planned is designed specifically for the gals. While it's served in martini glasses there is nothing about it, save vodka, to tie it to its more potent cousin. It's a great, if strong, drink for luncheons, showers and other special occasions. Be forewarned, the snake oil salesman in me is about to surface. Ready? It's also good for you because of all the calcium rich cranberry juice that's used to make it. I also sell bridges and oil wells if you're in the market. This is really simple to do and cranberry flavored syrup can be made several days before using if it's refrigerated. Here's the recipe.

Cranberry Cocktails...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
Cranberry Syrup
Finely grated zest of 1 large orange
Finely grated zest of 1 large lime
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup water
2-1/2 cups plain cranberry juice
.
12 ounces vodka

Directions:
1) Combine orange zest, lime zest, sugar and water in a medium pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cool slightly. Place cranberry juice in a 1-quart jar that has a lid. Add sugar syrup and close jar. Shake to combine. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
2) To make one drink, combine 1/2 cup of cranberry syrup and 2 ounces of vodka in an ice filled cocktail shaker. Shake well. Strain into a cold martini glass. Yield: 6 drinks.

You might also enjoy these recipes:

Poinsettia and Champagne Cocktail - One Perfect Bite
Hot Mulled Cranberry and Apple Cider - One Perfect Bite
Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur - One Perfect Bite


This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Crisp Cranberry and Carrot Oatmeal Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Arguably, there are few snacks more appealing than an old-fashioned oatmeal cookie. While I suspect your favorite recipe for them was selected years ago, I have one more version I'd like you to try. These crisp cookies use less shortening than most and they're so packed with good things that a snake oil salesman might actually be able to convince you that they're good for you. I wouldn't go that far, but if your sweet tooth demands a snack, you could do worse. How's that for a rave review? Seriously, the cookies are packed with oatmeal, carrots, cranberries and nuts and there is hint of orange buried in the dough that gives them a unique flavor. It's hard to make a homely cookie anything more than it is, so rather than try let's get right to the recipe for this not bad for you cookie. Here it is.

Crisp Cranberry and Carrot Oatmeal Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
1 tablespoon orange liqueur or concentrated orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2) Cream brown and white sugar with butter. Add orange zest, vanilla and orange liqueur to beaten eggs. Mix well and stir into creamed mixture.
3) In a separate large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to mix. Add oats, raisins, carrots and nuts. Add to butter and sugar mixture. Work with a wooden spoon to mix. The dough will be very stiff.
4) Using a tablespoon measure, drop dough onto prepared cookie sheets, spacing about 2-inches apart. Flatten top of cookies with a fork or damp fingers. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit in pans for 5 minutes. Transfer to a rack to finish cooling. Yield: 36 cookies.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Lemon Tea Cookies - One Perfect Bite
Chinese-Style Almond Cookies - One Perfect Bite
Bittersweet Chocolate Snowballs - One Perfect Bite

Cranberry Bread Pudding with Orange Hard Sauce

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm probably a member of the last generation raised in kitchens where nothing was wasted, including stale bread and leftover rice. Rice and bread puddings were fixtures of my childhood. Bread pudding, both sweet and savory, has a long history in the annals of cooking. It can be traced to peasant kitchens where frugal and often hungry cooks refused to discard stale bread. The earliest recipe for bread pudding can be traced to a book called "The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy" by Hannah Glasse. It was published in 1747. Her recipe, save for instructions written in old English, is quite similar to those in use today. She adds butter, eggs and milk to stale bread and steams (boils) her pudding to completion. I prefer to bake mine.

I have a sentimental attachment to Cranberry Bread Pudding. It is, of course, delicious, but it's also one of the first recipes I entered into amateur recipe competition. It didn't embarrass me and it's stood the test of time. I make this at least once during the holiday season. The original recipe used croissants. I urge you to use these if possible. The pudding shown in today's post was made with a raisin sweet bread because that is what I had on hand. Pumpkin pie spice is used to keep the number of ingredients used in the recipe under control. That's important in competition recipes, but less so in the confines of your own kitchen. I'm inserting a list of spices within the recipe that can be used in case you don't keep pumpkin pie spice in your pantry. This pudding is packed with down-home flavor and it's a wonderful addition to the holiday dessert table. The hard sauce is to die for - really! Here's the recipe.

Cranberry Bread Pudding with Orange Hard Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Pudding:
14 ounces (approximately 7 large) stale croissants, cut into 1-inch cubes and lightly toasted
1 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice or
. 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
. 3/4 teaspoons ground ginger
. 3/8 teaspoons allspice or ground cloves
. 3/8 teaspoons nutmeg
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Topping:
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or
.1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
.1/4 teaspoon ginger
.1/8 teaspoon allspice or ground cloves
.1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Orange Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 2 1/2-quart (9x11 x3-inch) baking dish.
2) Arrange half of croissants pieces on bottom of prepared dish; sprinkle with cranberries, then cover with remaining croissants. Set aside.
3) Combine eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 cup brown sugar, melted butter, salt, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, orange zest and juice in a blender container; pulse until well combined. Pour mixture over cubed croissants, pressing down with back of large spoon to moisten. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.
4) To make topping, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl; sprinkle on top of croissant mixture.
5) Place dish in a large roasting pan; transfer pan to middle shelf of the oven. Pour hot water into roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of dish. Bake until the custard is softly set, about 55 minutes.
6) While pudding bakes, prepare Orange Sauce: Combine butter, 1 cup brown sugar, flour, salt, water, zest, juice and vanilla in a heavy 2-quart saucepan; cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and looks syrupy.
7) Allow pudding to cool about 20 minutes before serving. Pass the sauce separately in a sauce boat. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Cranberry Chambord Sorbet - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a lovely palate cleanser to serve at the end of a heavy meal. I try to keep a quart of it in the freezer for those who don't like, or have room for, more traditional holiday desserts. Sorbet is a frozen dessert that's a bit like gelato, but it's softer and contains no dairy products. It's made with sugar and a fruit puree and it's suitable for vegan diets. This lovely recipe is an adaption of one that appeared in Relish Magazine. It can be made with raspberry or orange liqueur or orange juice. I've added a pinch of salt and some lemon juice to the original recipe. We are of two minds in our house. Bob loves it with Chambord while I prefer it made with Cointreau or orange juice. Chambord always seems to win. This particular recipe uses an ice cream freezer but it can be made without one using the directions that you'll find here. This is very easy to do. Here's the recipe.

Cranberry Chambord Sorbet...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 (12-oz.) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
2 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup raspberry liqueur or strained fresh orange juice
1 pinch kosher salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:
1) Combine cranberries, water and sugar in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until cranberries pop, about 5 minutes.
2) Remove from heat and stir in liqueur or orange juice, salt and lemon juice.
3) Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a shallow pan; use back of a spoon to press as much liquid as possible from berries. Chill strained liquid for 2 hours.
4) When mixture is very cold, pour it into canister of an ice cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Spoon into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze fro one hour or until firm. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving. Yield 6 servings.

This post is being linked to:

Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Cranberry Soufflé - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A soufflé is a magnificent egg creation that should be served hot from the oven. It can be sweet or savory and, when the planets are in perfect alignment, it will tower above the mold in which it bakes. Soufflés collapse as they cool, so efforts to photograph them can be heroic. My only usable pictures were taken while they were still in the oven. The soufflé was created in the 19th century by chef Antonin Carême, who was arguably the first celebrity chef. While his culinary achievements are legendary, he is also remembered as being a prolific food writer and as the man who created the chef's hat, the toque. I'll wager he'd hate to know that the toque is included in his biography.

Soufflés rise because stiffly beaten egg whites trap air and allow them to expand with the heat of the oven. There are two components to a soufflé; a base which can be a sauce, pastry cream or puree and stiffly beaten egg whites that are used to lighten the base. There are several tricks to making a successful soufflé. A pinch of table salt added to the whites and using a collar to guide the soufflé as it rises are among them. More important still is a can-do attitude. The only hard and fast rule I have to share with you is don't open the door while the soufflé is baking. It will deflate like a balloon.

This cranberry soufflé is the creation of Michel Richard, the executive chef at Citronelle. It actually is very easy to do. It uses a puree of cranberries and sugar as a base and it requires no collar as it bakes. If you want your family or guests to see the soufflé at the height of its glory move it quickly from the oven to the table. This soufflé deflates quickly because there is no flour in it. I used a blender to puree the cranberries, adding small amounts of water only as need to continue processing. The puree should have the consistency of a bechamel sauce or pudding, so use water sparingly. I have everything ready to go before I begin to beat the egg whites. I do add a pinch of table salt to the whites and I make it a point to throw a pinch over my shoulder for luck. This is a wonderfully seasonal recipe. I hope you'll give it a try and enjoy this lovely cranberry creation.

Cranberry Soufflé...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh cranberry purée mixed with 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of sugar, plus another 1/2 cup for coating soufflé dishes
2 tablespoons butter, softened
4 egg whites
.
5 (6-oz.) soufflé dishes

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2) Puree cranberries and mix with 1/2 cup sugar in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
3) Using a pastry brush, generously coat soufflé dishes with butter, then coat them with 1/2 cup sugar. Turn them upside down to remove excess sugar. Set them on a baking sheet.
4) Quickly beat egg whites with a pinch of table salt, adding a 1/2 cup of reserved sugar a teaspoon at a time, until soft peaks are formed.
5) Fold whites into cranberry purée. Spoon batter into soufflé dishes. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve immediately with whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream. Yield: 5 servings.

Recipe courtesy Of Michel Richard.

This post is being linked to:

Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Mile High Apple Pie with Cranberries - Pink Saturday

This is a wonderfully rosy pink pie that's perfect for the fall season. It can be made at other times of year without the cranberries. The apples in the pie will retain their shape as they bake, but they will be reduced in volume and there will be a void between the apples and the crust. If you prefer softer apples or don't care for the hollow, I urge you to partially cook them before they're placed in the pastry shell. I use Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples to make the pie because they retain their shape and are not overly sweet. When I make the pie without cranberries I cut way back on the amount of sugar used in the filling, so the measurement for sugar that is shown in the recipe is variable. We serve this warm with really good vanilla ice cream. Here's the recipe.

Mile High Apple Pie with Cranberries...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
8 cups apples, pared, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
1 to 2 cups cranberries (optional)
1/3 to 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
Pastry for a 2 crust pie
Glaze:
1 egg yolk + 1 teaspoon milk

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2) Place apples and cranberries(if using) in a large bowl. Mix sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg and salt in a small bowl to combine. Sprinkle mixture over apples and let sit until juices begin to form, about 15 minutes.
3) While apples rest, roll half of pastry to fit a 9-inch pie plate with 1/2-inch overhang. Roll remaining dough to form top crust for pie, folding into quarters.
4) Pile apple mixture into pastry. Dot with butter. Moisten edge of pastry with water. Place folded pastry on apples with point in the center. Unfold. Press edges together to seal. Flute. Make several holes or slits in crust to allow steam to escape.
5) Mix yolk with milk and brush top of pastry with mixture. Bake pie for 1 hour, or until crust is deep golden brown and juices are bubbling through slits. If crust browns too rapidly, cover with foil. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

This post is being linked to Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Cranberry Dressing

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Several years ago I had the good fortune to find this recipe for cranberry dressing. It was created by Chef Denis Bettinger who used it as a garnish for a luscious scallop entree. I love to use it as a dip for chicken fingers or coconut shrimp and as a sauce for turkey. I also use it as a salad dressing for baby greens. It has a vibrant color that adds immediate appeal to anything it's served with. I'm always amazed when a simple recipe that uses a handful of ingredients adds intense flavor to a dish. This wonderful sauce does that. The ingredients can be found in any grocery store and frozen cranberries can be used. You will, however, need a blender or food processor to puree the cranberries. The sauce is fairly thick, but it can be thinned with water if you'd like. If you decide to dilute the sauce, add water in a measured fashion to prevent it from becoming too thin. Here's the recipe.

Cranberry Dressing...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1-1/2 cup olive oil
fresh herbs (such as basil, thyme, parsley, tarragon) to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook cranberries in a small amount of water until tender. Add sugar, herbs, oil and vinegar. Pureé in a blender or food processor, adding water as necessary to get the desired consistency. Use as a garnish, sauce or dip. Yield: 2 cups.

Cran-Apple Crisp - Cranberry Coast - Pink Saturday

Sunset on the Cranberry Coast in the state of Washington.



Harvesting cranberries.







The flavors I most associate with fall are those of apple, pumpkin and cranberry. I'm especially fond of apples and cranberries and love the way they compliment each other in desserts. This is, hands down, my favorite crisp and it's the cranberries that set it apart from its competitors. I knew a bit about cranberries and how they were grown but my knowledge was superficial. I wanted to learn more. Fortunately, I live in an area where they are raised. If you hop in a car and drive along the coast on US 101 you'll come to an alternate loop that takes you to Gray's Harbor and the Cranberry Peninsula. The peninsula was settled by Finnish farmers who found the conditions they needed to grow cranberries here. The soil was an acid peat, fresh water was plentiful and the growing season extended from April to November. The berries grow on low vines in layered beds called bogs or marshes and where no natural bogs existed they could still be built. The topography was conducive to commercial farming of cranberries. They proceeded to build bogs and started a cranberry industry in the area. As is often the case in these communities, there is a harvest festival each year. It includes a bog tour and a cook-off. The event is nicely done and great fun for first-timers. It's the type of event I search out and enjoy. I have a very strange bucket list and, fortunately, a husband with a sense of humor. I know you'll love this crisp. Give it a try.

Cran-Apple Crisp...from the kitchen of One Perfect bite

Ingredients:
5 large Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 cups fresh or frozen whole cranberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
Crumb Topping
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 granulated sugar
1/3 cup light or golden brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butter, room temperature

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13-inch pan or 8 1-cup pyrex ramekins with nonstick spray.
2) Combine apples, cranberries, granulated sugar and salt in a large bowl. Mix well. Transfer to a baking pan or individual ramekins. Set aside.
3) To make topping, combine flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, oats and nuts in a large bowl. Cut in butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle topping over cran-apple mixture.
4) Bake until berries are juicy and topping is lightly browned, about 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Accompany with ice cream or whipped cream if desired. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.


They post is being linked to Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.