As soon as I see fresh cranberries in the fall, I can’t wait to start baking. Because they are easy to freeze, you can bake with them year round but they always seem a herald of autumn. I always buy several bags to freeze so I have cranberries when they are no longer available fresh. I also make Cranberry Chutney to serve with poultry and pork.
Cranberry Walnut Bars
These cranberry jewels are easy to make because the crust is pressed into the pan. Don’t forget the Crème Fraiche.
Makes 15 squares or 24 bars
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter
Filling
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups chopped fresh cranberries
1 cup chopped walnuts
Crème Fraiche
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. and place the oven rack in the center. Place a piece of aluminum foil across the bottom and up the long sides of a 13x9 inch baking pan. Lightly spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine the flour, powdered and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until coarse crumbs form and butter is coated with flour. Press into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until the crust is slightly browned.
Combine the brown sugar and 1/4 cup flour in a medium bowl. Add corn syrup, eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Stir in the butter, cranberries and walnuts. Pour into the browned crust. Gently even out the surface to distribute the cranberries and walnuts.
Bake 38 to 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean in the center. It will be wet. Center will no longer jiggle when the pan is shaken. Cool to room temperature on a wire cooling rack. Carefully loosen the bars from the short end of the pan. Gently lift bars from the pan using the foil. Cut into squares or bars. Serve with crème fraiche. Be sure there is no foil on the bars.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
After Halloween Pumpkin Soup
Witches and goblins are gone, at least for another year. As the days turn colder, a warm bowl of soup is always welcome. If you want to use fresh pumpkin instead of canned, be sure to start with a sugar or pie pumpkin, not jack-o-lantern pumpkin! I developed this soup to use up the rest of a can of pumpkin after I used 1/2 cup for Pumpkin Custards. You can also use 1 1/2 to 2 cups of pureed butternut squash. In addition to topping a serving with yogurt, I like the crunch added with sunflower nuts or popcorn.
Pumpkin Soup
Besides being a favorite for pie, pumpkin is loaded with antioxidants and fiber and a healthy addition to any diet. If you have more pumpkin just add it to the soup. When I have leftover cooked wild rice or brown rice, I add it too.
Makes 4 servings
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin or 1 (15 ounce) can
2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 tablespoons low-fat yogurt
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and the onion. Cook until the onion is tender about 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the broth, pumpkin, brown sugar and ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes to blend the flavors.
Garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon yogurt.
Pumpkin Soup
Besides being a favorite for pie, pumpkin is loaded with antioxidants and fiber and a healthy addition to any diet. If you have more pumpkin just add it to the soup. When I have leftover cooked wild rice or brown rice, I add it too.
Makes 4 servings
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin or 1 (15 ounce) can
2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 tablespoons low-fat yogurt
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and the onion. Cook until the onion is tender about 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the broth, pumpkin, brown sugar and ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes to blend the flavors.
Garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon yogurt.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Meatless Monday
I realize that today isn't Monday, but recently I've embraced the concept of meatless Monday or serving one meatless meal a week. In addition to being healthy, it's also good for the environment. This week I served Spicy Red Lentils and Brown Rice garnished with cilantro and yogurt. Lentils and dried beans are high in protein and a good source of Vitamins A and B, iron and phosphorus and brown rice is a whole grain.
I purchased red lentils in bulk at a wholesale Italian market in Chicago on a recent trip. Red lentils are sometimes called Egyptian lentils and keep well for as long as a year. Easily cooked in less than 30 minutes, they form a puree.
To cook the rice I used my rice cooker. This is an appliance I haven't used much because the excess starch needs to be rinsed away. I've always felt this would also wash away the vitamins added to enrich the rice. With brown rice there is no need to rinse away excess starch because of the bran coating. My rice was perfectly steamed to be serve with the spicy lentils and I cooked enough for a second meal.
I purchased red lentils in bulk at a wholesale Italian market in Chicago on a recent trip. Red lentils are sometimes called Egyptian lentils and keep well for as long as a year. Easily cooked in less than 30 minutes, they form a puree.
To cook the rice I used my rice cooker. This is an appliance I haven't used much because the excess starch needs to be rinsed away. I've always felt this would also wash away the vitamins added to enrich the rice. With brown rice there is no need to rinse away excess starch because of the bran coating. My rice was perfectly steamed to be serve with the spicy lentils and I cooked enough for a second meal.
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