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

Apple Oatmeal Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I know he means well, but sometimes the Silver Fox is not helpful. He has a tendency to comment on works in progress and I really didn't need to hear his, "...that'll grow hair on your chest," as I added oatmeal to my bread mix. As a child I was very literal minded. If someone were to say I'm beside myself, you can bet I checked the room. Old habits die hard. Without thinking, I glanced down and managed to give him his laugh of the day. What can I say? While it's more nutritious than many, the bread is not a cure for male pattern baldness. It is very easy to prepare and it can be quickly made with no special equipment. Needless to say, it perfumes the kitchen as it bakes and the lingering aroma of cinnamon and apples will drive the unsuspecting to distraction. It's a really nice bread that can be made with a wooden spoon. While it is heavier than many quick breads, it's a perfect fall treat. The bread stays fresh for days and it makes wonderful toast. I hope you will try it. Here's the recipe.

Apple Oatmeal Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1-1/2 cups grated apple
1/4 cup raisins
2 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2) Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and oats in a large bowl. Add apple, raisins, eggs, milk, and oil. Mix until dry ingredients are moistened. Mixture will be stiff.
3) Put mixture into prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until done. Let sit for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and continue cooling on a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf (about 12 slices).

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread - You Made That?
Glazed Apple, Carrot and Walnut Loaf - The English Kitchen
Banana Nut Bread - Brown-Eyed Baker
Cherry Pecan Bread - Amanda's Cookin'
Coconut Bread - Bored Cook in the Kitchen
Cinnamon Quick Bread - Sugar Plum
Raspberry Almond Swirl Bread - Baking Bites

Apple Raisin Chutney

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm all set for a canning and freezing marathon, but our local strawberries are still a few days short of prime. To keep myself focused, I decided to put by a few jars of apple chutney that I anticipate will be lovely for glazing meats, and spreading on the Indian breads I experimented with this morning. If you like chutney, you'll love this recipe. It produces a dark, glossy spread with a curry flavor and a jam-like texture. The choice of curry, hot or not, is up to you. I make this in small quantities because the ingredients need to make it are always available, and that makes bulk storage and a canning orgy unnecessary. While this is really easy to prepare, there is some chopping involved and you'll have to carefully watch the chutney as it cooks to avoid it burning. If it catches on you'll have to pitch the entire batch. This chutney is less viscous than the mango chutneys that are commercially available, so don't panic when you see how thick this is. That's as it should be. I refrigerate or freeze the jars I make, but if you wish, they can be processed in a boiling water bath for long term shelf storage. The chutney will keep for three weeks in the refrigerator and for up to six months in the freezer. Here's the recipe.

Apple Raisin Chutney...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Nancie McDermott
Ingredients:
4 cups peeled, cored and chopped cooking apples (i.e. Golden Delicious or Granny Smiths)
1/2 cup water
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 can (14.5-oz.) peeled, chopped tomatoes, undrained
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) Place apples in a 3-quart pan with water. Cover pan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or until apples are soft.
2) Meanwhile, combine onions, garlic, tomatoes, vinegar, raisins, sugar, curry powder, mustard seeds and salt in another heavy bottomed saucepan. Stir to mix well.
3) Mash apples and add to mixture in saucepan. Mix well. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Stir well, reduce heat and simmer gently for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stir pot often, being sure scrape bottom of pan to discourage sticking. Chutney is done when it is a th. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. Transfer to lidded jars or freezer containers. Chutney will keep in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. It will keep in freezer up to 6 months. Yield: 4 1/2 pints.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Fresh Mango Chutney - One Perfect Bite
Balsamic Onion Marmalade - One Perfect Bite
Tomato Jam - One Perfect Bite
Crock-Pot Dried Apricot Jam - One Perfect Bite
Spicy Tomato Chutney - Beck and Posh
Homemade Mango Chutney - Simply Recipes
Apricot Jalapeno Chutney - eCurry

Funeral Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...One of the desserts that we considered for Bob's birthday was an Amish funeral pie. Bob was intrigued by its name and its resemblance to a mincemeat tart I serve for the holidays. Many of our friends are older than Bob and me, and I was not sure they'd appreciate being served something called a funeral pie at a birthday celebration. Bob, nonetheless, wanted to give it a try. After some negotiation, my inner diplomat successfully reasoned with his inner child and we deferred serving the pie until later in the week. The pie is traditionally served at funerals of Old Order Mennonites and Amish. It was served at so many funeral suppers that it was given the name "funeral pie." It became a favorite of Mennonite cooks because the ingredients were always available and the pie kept well. That meant it could be made a day or two before the funeral supper and freed hands for other tasks. The pie is not unpleasant, and if you love raisins or mincemeat I suspect you'll love it. One caution. It is very sweet. Susan, who writes The Well-Seasoned Chef, let us know that the pie is deliberately made cloyingly, almost painfully, sweet to allow mourners to forget, if only for a moment, the pain of their grief. If I make this again, I'll reduce the sugar by half. I would also make a lattice crust to improve its appearance. As you can see from the photo above, Bob enjoyed his pie as written. We have a Mennonite community in our area and I used a recipe given to me by one of their best bakers to make the pie. Here's the Smith family recipe.

Funeral Pie...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by the cooks of the Smith family

Ingredients:
2 cups raisins
1 cup water
Finely grated zest of 1 large orange
1 cup orange juice
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided use
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg, beaten
Pastry for 2 crust pie

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2) Combine raisins, water, orange zest and juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, combine 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, allspice and nutmeg in a small bowl.
Stir slowly into raisin mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Stir in lemon juice and walnuts.
4) Roll out half the pie dough on a lightly floured surface. Fit into an 8 or 9-inch pie pan. Pour filling into pie shell.
5) Roll out remaining pastry and place over pie. Seal and flute edges. Cut several slashes into top of pie to release steam. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with reserved tablespoon of sugar. Bake until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm. Yield: 8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes or information:
Sister Sarah's Apple Pudding - One Perfect Bite
Apple Butterscotch Grunt - Simply Annes
Shoo-Fly Pie - Not So Humble Pie
Old Order Mennonite Blog - Old Fashioned Net
Sweet Sorrow - Rosino Pie - The Well-Seasoned Chef

This recipe is being linked to:
Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday

Pumpkin Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is an old cake from one of Maida Heatter's first cookbooks. It's a lightly spiced pumpkin cake that's chock full of nuts and macerated raisins. The raisins are soaked in dark rum for an hour or so before being added to the cake batter. Raisins plumped in this fashion aren't necessary, but they add a lovely adult touch to an otherwise simple cake. Apple juice could also be used. I like this cake because it's easy to assemble, needs no special equipment to make and uses no exotic ingredients, save for the rum which is optional. When my children were small, I loved to make this cake for them, sans rum of course. It's only mildly sweet and the raisins and nuts add some nutritional value to otherwise empty calories. I did, however, have one child who would confound me. To this day, a raisin has never passed her lips. By the time she finished pulling raisins from this cake or a slice of raisin bread they'd look like Flemish lace. It was the habit years ago to serve this cake with a ginger flavored whipped cream. It's still a lovely garnish, but I prefer to keep things really simple and use a dusting of confectioners' sugar to finish the cake. Here's the recipe.

Pumpkin Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Maida Heatter

Ingredients:
3 cups sifted all--purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon powdered cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins, macerated in rum or apple juice for an hour, then drained and patted dry
3 1/2 ounces (1 cup) walnuts, broken into medium-size pieces
2 cups plain pumpkin puree
2 cups sugar
1-1/4 cups safflower oil, corn oil, or other salad oil (not olive oil)
4 large eggs
Optional: Confectioners sugar

Directions:
1) Adjust rack one-third up from bottom of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter a 10 x 4-1/2 inch tube pan. Line bottom with paper cut to fit and butter paper.
2) Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Add a tablespoon of sifted dry ingredients to raisins in a small bowl. With your fingers, toss raisins to separate them and coat each one with the dry ingredients. Stir in nuts and set aside.
3) In large bowl of electric mixer, place pumpkin, sugar, and oil. Beat at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs individually, beating after each until incorporated.
4) On low speed add sifted dry ingredients, beating only until smooth. Remove from mixer. Stir in raisins and nuts. Turn into prepared pan. Rotate pan briskly to level top.
5) Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a cake tester comes out dry. Cool on a rack for about 10 minutes. The baked cake will only fill about three-quarters of pan.
6) Cover cake with a rack and invert. Remove pan and paper. Cover with another rack and invert again. Cool right side up on the rack.
8) When cool, top may be dusted with confectioners sugar sifted through a fine mesh strainer.
Serve as is or with a generous spoonful of whipped cream. Yield: 10 to 12 servings.