Cranberry Orange Walnut Loaf

Cranberry Orange Bread is a favorite in my family. My mom always makes many mini loaves to give away to friends. She wraps then in little cellophane bags with holly on them and ties them with raffia ribbon. It's pure Christmas cheer.

My mom calls it "bread," but it's really the consistency of cake (Cake that you're allowed to eat for breakfast, so we'll roll with this "bread" bit... I've called it a "loaf" here to be politically correct :) ) The orange and cranberry are a refreshing punch to this moist and delicious comfort food. This can be eaten it by itself, or spread with some butter and jam on top.

My mom gives away most of the loaves, but there's always a few left for us. I know what I'll be having for breakfast this week... :)

one year ago: Ciambelle (Lemon Wreath Cookies)


Cranberry Orange Walnut Loaf
from Martha Stewart

yields 1 large loaf or 3 mini loaves (mini loaf pictured above)

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
zest of 1 orange
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cranberries, diced
1/2 cup roasted walnuts, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, stir heavy cream, orange juice, and vanilla. In another small bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl beat butter, orange zest, and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time while continuing to beat. Alternate adding flour mixture and cream mixture until fully incorporated. Add cranberries and walnuts.

In a prepared loaf pan or cardboard loaf pan, fill with batter until 2/3 full. Bake about 30 minutes in the oven until gold brown or until a toothpick come out clean when put in the center of the loaf. Let cool completely on a rack. Loaves can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored on the counter for days or in the freezer for weeks.

Enjoy.
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Poppy-Seed Danishes with Cherry-Neufchâtel Filling

I just got back from the Northwest in all of its beauty, and cherries. Bing and Rainier cherries were everywhere by the cheap, so I snagged some lovely cherry preserves at a fruit stand near Mt. Hood. On my multi-stop plane ride back from Seattle to Tucson I did a dangerous thing: I read five cooking magazines full of recipes (many, many more posts are on the way!). This recipe, which makes use of my cherry preserves, was featured in Martha Stewart Living.

I'm a sucker for breakfast pastries... and all pastries... but especially danishes, sticky buns, and cinnamon rolls. They are sweet, savory, fruity, and filling all in one bite. With this recipe, it was clear that my cherry preserves would be used for a greater good.

The danish dough is fool proof and could easily be used for all sorts of breakfast pastries. However, this specific combination of cheese, cherry, and poppy-seed is well worth simply sticking to the recipe, and the danishes resemble beautiful poppy flowers (of the buttery variety...).

And in case you're wondering what the heck Neufchâtel cheese is, it's that cheese that looks and tastes exactly like cream cheese, located right next to the cream cheese in your grocery store. The only advantage is that is has less fast without losing flavor, so any kind of cream cheese will do, but maybe you might like something new, too!

This recipe came through for me and my cherry preserves, making breakfast all the more delicious. I hope Martha's creation can do the same for you.

Poppy-Seed Danishes with Cherry-Neufchâtel Filling
adapted from Martha Stewart

yields 9 danishes

Ingredients:
Danish Dough
1 cup whole milk
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, plus more for bowl
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (one 1/4-ounce envelope) active dry yeast
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface and hands
Salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream, for egg wash

Filling
8 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/3 cup cherry preserves

Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk or cream

Directions:
First, make the danish dough. Warm milk, butter, and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat until mixture reaches 120 degrees on a candy thermometer. (Butter will not melt completely.) Pour warm milk mixture over yeast in the bowl of a mixer; whisk to combine. Cover with 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt (do not stir). Let stand for 5 minutes.

Using the dough-hook attachment (I don't have a stand mixer - donations welcome :) - so I did the following all by hand), mix dough on medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl, until a sticky dough forms. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time. Reduce speed to low, and mix in 1 1/2 cups flour. (If dough is too sticky, mix in an additional 1/2 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Continue to mix until dough is smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl, about 5 minutes more.

Using floured hands, turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough into a ball, and transfer to a large buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until dough is doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Return dough to lightly floured surface, and punch down. Reshape into a ball. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Beat Neufchâtel cheese, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg yolk. Add poppy seeds, and beat until evenly distributed.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 16-inch square. Trim edges using a sharp paring knife to form a 15-inch square. (If dough seems too warm or too elastic, refrigerate or freeze for 10 minutes.) Cut dough into nine 5-inch squares, and divide between 2 baking sheets.

Cut a 2-inch line from the 4 corners of each square into the center. Spread a heaping tablespoon filling onto each. Dollop centers with a heaping teaspoon preserves. Fold the 2 top corners into the center of each square. Repeat with remaining corners to form petals. Brush petals with egg wash. Bake until deep golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, make the glaze. Mix together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use. (If glaze gets stiff, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is achieved.)

Drizzle Danishes with glaze, and let stand for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!
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No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars

I have found the no-muss, no-fuss bite for you and another no-bake recipe for Kathleen. In less than half an hour, these chewy granola bars will be ready to satisfy both your sweet and salty cravings with plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week.

This is the simplest granola bar recipe I've come across and it's versatile that you can use whatever is hanging out in your cupboard. On this occasion I chose to add chocolate chips and peanut butter chips to the mix, but dried fruits, pretzels, cereal, candy, and marshmallows are all welcome here.

Granola bars are indispensable when it comes down to a snack on the run or breakfast on the fly. You get your grains, fruit, and a little sweet treat all in one. What more could you want?

No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars
adapted from Rachel Ray

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
pinch of salt
2 cups granola
1 cup rice/puffed cereal (Rice Krispies, Kashi Go-Lean Honey Puff, etc.)
1/4 cup chocolate chips*
1/4 cup peanut butter chips*

*You can substitute anything you like here or add more.

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, and salt.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar dissolves (about 2 minutes). Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Add the granola and rice cereal (and pretzels if using them) to the saucepan and fold the ingredients to evenly coat with the sauce.

Transfer the granola mixture to a 9 x 13 inch ungreased baking pan. Press firmly with a spatula to evenly fill the tray. Gently press the chips onto the top.

Place the pan in the refrigerator until the mixture is firm (about 15 minutes). Cut into 2 1/4 x 3 inch bars.

Store in an airtight container or wrap in waxed paper.
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Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Lemon

It's the weekend, and you know what that means: pancakes. I'm not going to lie - I'm the kind of girl who likes to drench her pancakes in syrup and butter. However once I realized that the butter is a solid hunk in the freezer and the cabinets are bare of real maple syrup (once you've tasted the good stuff it becomes difficult to keep up strong friendships with Mrs. Butterworth and Aunt Jemima), I set out to make a different kind of pancake - one that didn't have to hide behind all that butter and syrup.

This cottage cheese (I know, I know... but it's delicious. If I hadn't told you, you wouldn't have known it was in there) pancake with lemon is perfection: airy, moist, and filling. It's a good thing I have roommates because I definitely would have eaten the entire batch. Going out on a limb and trying something new can yield good (and tasty) results. Lesson learned.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Lemon
adapted from Martha Stewart

yields one dozen pancakes

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 lemons (1 zested, 1 cut into wedges)
confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions:
Separate the eggs. Lightly beat the yolks.

In a separate bowl beat the eggs whites until stiff, glossy peaks form.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Stir together the yolks, cottage cheese, granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in one third of the egg whites.

 With a spatula, gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

Grease the griddle/skillet with cooking spray or butter; heat until a drop of batter sizzles upon contact. Pour about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto the griddle/skillet.

Cook until the surface of the pancake bubbles and the edges are slightly dry (this takes only about 1 minute). Flip pancakes. Cook until undersides are golden brown (about 3 more minutes). Serve sprinkled with lemon zest and confectioners' sugar with lemon wedges on the side (they tastes SO GOOD if you squeeze lemon juice onto them). Start your day happy.

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