Friday, November 24, 2017

Fresh cranberries and wine vinegar give this
a distinctively tangy taste
Sweet and Sour Cranberries

Thanksgiving is over, and many refrigerators across the US are filled with leftover turkey, duck, venison or ham. Yes, that means there will be sandwiches and casseroles galore for the next few weeks - until the Christmas feast takes place.

Turkey sandwiches can be dry and a little lackluster, but this cranberry condiment will liven up even the tamest turkey. It also tastes terrific with ham, duck, chicken, venison or pork tenderloin. And it's versatile enough to use as a glaze for the next poultry roast.

This starts with fresh cranberries, which are readily available at this time of year in the produce aisle of most grocery stores. The final product is a very thick jel, which stays nicely put on a sandwich.

The original recipe called for pureeing and then straining the cooked cranberry mixture. The texture was to resemble that of tomato catsup. I personally like the texture of the whole berries, and choose not to go through the additional steps of pureeing and straining.

Sweet and Sour Cranberries
1 lb (2 cups) fresh cranberries
3/4 c. red wine vinegar
1 c. light brown sugar, packed
4 cinnamon sticks
2 whole nutmegs
1 tbsp. allspice berries

In a large saucepan, gently warm the wine vinegar to a simmer. Place cinnamon sticks, nutmegs and allspice into a small cheesecloth bag tied off at the top. Steep the spice bag in the warm vinegar for at least an hour.

Remove spice bag from vinegar, add brown sugar and cranberries, and return mixture to medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved and cranberries begin to pop. Continue cooking until mixture begins to thicken, about 10-15 minutes.

Pour into a heat-safe container and allow to cool at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate.

Saturday, November 18, 2017

Pumpkin Rum Pie With Vanilla Wafer Crust

Pumpkin Rum Pie With Vanilla Wafer Crust

The holiday season kicks off officially with the Thanksgiving celebration on November 23. Pumpkin pie is one of the traditional desserts, but too often, pumpkin pie tastes like it should be a side dish instead of a dessert.

Pumpkin has a distinct flavor, but it is mild. It needs some embellishment and enhancement in order to make a standout dessert. This pie recipe gives it a much needed kick, and it also avoids dealing with making, rolling and shaping a traditional pie crust.

The secret ingredient is rum - or bourbon, if you prefer. Both of these alcoholic beverages complement the flavor of pumpkin. In addition, because the alcohol bakes out of the filling, it leaves the filling firm. The vanilla wafer crust is also much easier to make than a traditional pie crust, and the slight vanilla flavor also helps to pump up the pie's flavor.

This recipe makes a lot of filling, so if you have a deep dish pie pan, use it. You can also substitute a 10" tart pan and double the ingredients.

Pumpkin Rum Pie with Vanilla Wafer Crust

Crust:
2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1/3 c. melted butter

Filling:
2 c. canned pumpkin (do not use canned pumpkin pie filling)
1 can (12 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
dash salt
1/4 c. dark rum or bourbon
2 large eggs
Chill the crumb crust before baking to
prevent it from falling apart when pie is served


To make crust:
Using a food processor, pulse enough vanilla wafer cookies to make 2 cups of fine crumbs. Place crumbs in medium mixing bowl.

Melt 1/3 c. butter. Pour melted butter into crumbs, and use a fork to stir and coat crumbs with butter.

Spray a 9" pie pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the plate with crumb mixture, using a wooden spoon to press crumbs evenly along the bottom and sides of the pie pan. Chill crust for an hour in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chilled crust into preheated oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Crust will be slightly brown. Do not overbake. Allow to cool before adding filling.

To make filling:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, rum, eggs, salt and spices. This will be a thick liquid. Gently pour into prepared crust.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake pie for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake an additional 30-40 minutes or until a knife inserted 1" from the crust comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely before serving. Cover and refrigerate any leftover pie.

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Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Blueberry Pound Cake

Frozen blueberries, sour cream and real butter
add body and flavor to this pound cake.

Blueberry Pound Cake


Pound cake of any kind is a favorite of mine. Rich, moist and essentially foolproof, poundcake doesn't require special flour, sifting or a lot of fussy preparation. The typical poundcake is baked in either a standard loaf pan or a Bundt pan. It doesn't need frosting, and it can be used as a breakfast bread or as a dessert.

This particular recipe contains sour cream and frozen blueberries. It tastes a lot like a blueberry pancake in loaf form. It is made for noshing with tea or a fresh cup of hot dark roast coffee.

Blueberry Pound Cake
3/4 c. butter (no substitutes)
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour 10x4 inch tube pan, Bundt pan or two 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inch loaf pans.

Using the microwave, melt butter in a large mixing bowl. Add granulated sugar and blend on low speed until sugar is dissolved. Add the vanilla and eggs, beating until thoroughly incorporated.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium mixing bowl. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding flour and sour cream. When all ingredients have been added, increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.

Pour 1/3 of the batter into prepared pans. Top this layer with 3/4 c. frozen blueberries. Add another 1/3 of the batter, and layer with 3/4 c. blueberries. Cover with final 1/3 of batter. If desired, swirl blueberries gently throughout the batter using a knife or spatula.

Bake in preheated oven - 45 to 50 minutes for loaves, 60 - 65 minutes for tube or Bundt pan, or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool slightly in pan before removing.

NOTE: Keep the blueberries frozen for this recipe, otherwise they will stain the batter blue.