Cranberry Bread Pudding with Orange Hard Sauce - Away A While Recipe Favorites

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 the pudding several times a year and it has become a fixture on my holiday dinner table. While the original recipe was made with croissants, and  I do, by the way, urge you to use them, other sweet breads can be used as a substitute. 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! You can find the recipe here.

                    

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Cranberry, Cashew and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Despite an ingredient list that contains everything but the kitchen sink, these drop cookies are extremely easy to make and I think you will find them to be a real crowd pleaser. I found the recipe in Taste of Home magazine and while I have made no changes to it, due to the Silver Fox's penchant for crisp cookies, I must admit that I bake the cookies for a longer period of time than suggested in the directions below. Left to my druthers, I'd stick with the program and enjoy a moist and eminently chewable cookie, but for the sake of my audience I bake the cookies for a full 13 minutes, or until their edges begin to brown. The cookies, soft or crisp, are great keepers, and if you'd prefer not to bake the entire batch at one time, the dough can be frozen. This is a nice, if somewhat expensive, cookie that I suspect you and your family will thoroughly enjoy. Here is how they are made.

Very Berry Fruit Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I came across a can of cranberry sauce as I was packing up our current pantry today. The storage area in the home to which we are moving is a good deal smaller than what we currently have, so I'm being very selective about what will actually move with us. The cranberry sauce didn't make my vital's  list and because it is not an item that the food shelters look forward to at this time of year,  I  had to find a way to use it. I toyed, ever so briefly, with the idea of making a holiday-type chicken dinner before brushing that thought aside. I did, however, remember seeing a quick bread recipe in Taste of Home magazine that used cranberry sauce. I was able to find the recipe online and it looked like it would solve my problem, so I set to work. The recipe was straight forward and easy to follow and I had 2 loaves of berry bread ready to eat in a bit over an hour. We sampled the bread as soon as it was cool enough to eat. It was, as we have been known to say, sufficient to the day. This is not a loaf that will make or break your reputation as a cook. It is a nice basic quick bread, and if you happen to have a can of cranberry sauce lying around the house, you might want to give it a try or, barring that, at least keep it in mind for the Thanksgiving holiday. Here is how the bread is made.

Kitchen Sink Jumbles

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I am as Rapunzel, but I've been imprisoned by an ice storm rather than a wicked witch or magic spell. The Silver Fox, God bless him, cleared the impressive length and breadth of our driveway, only to find a felled tree at the shared entrance to the road below. The owner of said tree did not share our zeal to remove storm debris and so we sit waiting for him to get his backfield in motion and move the darned thing out of the way. Until the tree is gone I, and by extension the blog, am completely dependent on the contents of my pantry for meals, ideas and photos.  Hence tonight's feature is for a  saucer-sized  cookie, that I call a Kitchen Sink Jumble. As you've probably guessed, they contain everything but  scouring pads, so their name is well-deserved. If you enjoy really sweet treats, you will enjoy this cookie. The jumbles are easy to make and they are good keepers, so if you have bits and bobs of ingredients left from your Christmas baking, this is a great way to use them up. Here is a base recipe that will get you started.  

Remains of the Day - Cranberry Kolaches

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you have some time and your holiday leftovers include a cup or so of cranberry sauce, you might want to give this recipe for cranberry kolaches a try. It comes from Taste of Home magazine and the rolls are quite easy to make. While the recipe below is fine, I do have one suggestion for those of you who plan to try them. Finely chop or dice, rather than grate, the apples. The grated apples have a porcupine like mien that I think spoils the appearance of the kolaches. While I often dispense with a glaze on this type of roll, the cranberry sauce is tart enough to warrant its use here. The rolls can be table ready in a bit less than two hours and I think you will enjoy them. Here is how they are made.

Cranberry Kolaches...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
Buns
4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 large egg
Filling
1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 cup grated peeled tart apple
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt.
2) In a saucepan, heat milk, water and butter to 120 - 130 degrees F. Add to dry ingredients beating just until moistened. Add egg and beat until smooth.
3) Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky). Do not knead. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Roll to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Place 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
4) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5) Using back of a spoon, make a 1-1/2-inch wide well in center of each roll.
6) Combine cranberry sauce, grated apple and cinnamon and spoon into each well.
7) Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.
8) Combine confectioners' sugar, extract and enough milk to achieve drizzling consistency. Drizzle over rolls. Store in refrigerator. Yield: 18 buns.

      

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Cranberry Scones

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...In my next life I plan to be a shepherd. I'll happily tend my flock, and when I'm bored I'll whip up a gourmet cheese or weave a shawl from the fleece my flock provides. I'll wander fields and sleep beneath star-lit skies and give no thought to schedules or holiday demands. Till then, however, I'm responsible for kitchen logistics and the plans I hope will make the holidays enjoyable for all who assemble at my table. To that end, I've been experimenting with some new breakfast and brunch recipes, and I have found a few that are good enough to share with you this week. I want to start with these delicious and seasonal cranberry scones. I do have one caution. The measurement for sugar in this recipe is given as a range. That's because these scones are barely sweet, and if your palate begs for a truly saccharine breakfast starter, you'll want to use the full measure of sugar that's suggested in the recipe. These scones have wonderful texture and they are simple to make. Just be careful not to overwork the dough as you mix and shape it. I know you will enjoy these pastries. Here is how they are made.

Cranberry Scones...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Midwest Living

Ingredients:
Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar + additional sugar for sprinkling
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
1/2 cup whipping cream + additional cream for brushing tops of scones
3 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
Glaze
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons orange or lemon juice
1 teaspoon melted butter
1 teaspoon milk

Directions:
1) Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2) In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/3 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in center of flour mixture.
3) In a small bowl, whisk together egg, whipping cream and vanilla. Stir in cranberries and toasted pecans. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Using a fork, stir until moistened and a dough forms.
4) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough by folding and gently pressing dough for 10 to 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth. Pat or lightly roll dough into an 8-inch square or circle. Cut into 8 rectangles or wedges.
5) Place rectangles or wedges 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Brush rectangles or wedges with additional whipping cream and sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly golden. Transfer scones to a wire rack. Cool about 10 minutes.
6) Meanwhile, combine confectioners' sugar, juice, butter and milk in a small bowl. Mix well. Drizzle over or ice still warm scones. Serve warm. Yield: 8 servings.

      

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Cranberry and Almond Quick Bread with White Chocolate Glaze

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is one of those breads that fall into the simply delicious category. It is easy to prepare and all the ingredients needed to make it, including the flavored coffee creamer, can be found in any large supermarket. It is hard to go wrong with this recipe, but you can make your bread even better, by toasting the almonds and using the full compliment of almond extract that's called for in the recipe. The bread is a great keeper and it ages really well. The white chocolate glaze is unexpected, but it is a wonderful compliment to the cranberries and nuts used in the bread. The loaf would make a wonderful addition to a tea table and I know it will be welcomed by those of you who are tired of the old cranberry and orange combination. Here is how this more upscale version is made.

Cranberry and Almond Quick Bread with White Chocolate Glaze...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Midwest Living magazine

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
2/3 cup chopped almonds, toasted if you like
White Chocolate Glaze (see recipe below)

Directions:
1) Rinse cranberries in cold water; drain. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Line bottom of pan with waxed paper; grease. Set aside.
2) In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
3) In a medium bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and almond extract. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in cranberries and the chopped almonds. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.
4) Bake in a 325 degree F oven about 75 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.
Before serving, unwrap bread. Drizzle with White Chocolate Glaze and sprinkle with additional toasted almonds. Makes 1 loaf (12 slices).

White Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients:
1/4 cup white baking pieces
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon French vanilla liquid coffee creamer

Directions:
In a small, microwave-safe bowl, microwave white baking pieces on 50 percent power (medium) for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring once or twice. Stir in powdered sugar and French vanilla liquid coffee creamer. If necessary, stir in additional coffee creamer, 1 teaspoon at a time, until glaze reaches drizzling consistency. Makes 1/4 cup.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Hazelnut-Anise Cookies

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Carrot Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I received an unusual compliment tonight. The Silver Fox is not a fan of carrots and he was not thrilled at the prospect of having a carrot salad with his supper. He is, however, a good sport, so despite his belief that salads should be green, he gamely tried a spoonful of my orange creation. Then, to my great surprise, he had another and yet another before commenting that the salad did not taste like carrots. Now, I know that is hardly a rave review, but he actually liked the carrot salad that didn't taste like carrots. I've been looking for new side dishes to serve with picnic and barbecue fare, and when I saw this recipe in Family Circle magazine, I knew I had to give it a try. I have a lot of recipes that I categorize as fast and easy. I can, however, go a step further with this one, and add effortless to the list of adjectives I use to describe it. The salad takes about 10 minutes to prepare, and while it has to chill and marinate before serving, there are few dishes that can be brought to the table with such ease. If you are looking for mayonnaise-free salads to serve your family, I suggest you give this one a try. I suspect you'll like it a lot. Here is how the salad is made.

Carrot Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Family Circle magazine

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 bag (10 ounces) shredded carrots
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:
1) Combine olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, mustard, salt and sugar in small bowl.
2) Combine carrots, cranberries, onion and almonds in large bowl. Add dressing. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Yield: 6 servings.


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Cranberry Upside Down Muffins

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I am often done in by my own expectations. That definitely was the case here. I was looking for a recipe I could use to replace a cranberry coffeecake that I've served too often and needed to replace. I wanted a recipe that used cranberries because they provide wonderful color for the red tables of Christmas and Valentine's Day. I chose this one because it was included in Gourmet's collection of 50 Baking Favorites and I expected great things. I'm sorry to report I got ordinary. While the muffins are not difficult to make, they simply are not worth the time needed to prepare them. I've since resumed the search for a cake or muffin to replace the cranberry cake I currently serve. I'll let you know when I find it. In the meantime, here's the recipe for a very ordinary, not too terrible muffin that you may, or may not, want to try.

Cranberry Upside Down Muffins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Gourmet 50 Baking Favorites

Ingredients:
2 cups cranberries, picked over and rinsed
1-1/4 cups sugar, divided use
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup milk

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously butter a standard size 12 muffin tin.
2) Combine the cranberries, 1 cup sugar, and nutmeg in a saucepan. Cook mixture over moderately high heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, and boil it, covered, for 3 minutes. Simmer mixture, uncovered, stirring, for 3 minutes and let it cool.
3) Sift flour, baking powder, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and salt together into a large bowl.
4) In another bowl whisk together egg, butter, and milk.
5) Add liquid mixture to flour mixture, and stir batter just until combined.
6) Divide cranberry mixture among 12 muffin cups and top with batter. Bake in middle of oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until they are golden. Cool in pan for 2 minutes and then invert onto a rack. These biscuit-type muffins are best served warm. Yield: 12 muffins.









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Mulled Cranberry and Cider Punch

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a simple, but festive, holiday sipper for those occasions when you want to provide a non-alcoholic alternative for children and guests who are teetotalers. It is really simple to make, and while it was first prepared for a large gathering, you can reduce the quantity of ingredients and serve it for a family holiday brunch. This is best prepared several hours before serving. While it can be poured immediately, time gives the ingredients a chance to blend and mellow, and greatly improves the flavor of the finished punch when it is warmed. You can add spices to taste, but be careful to limit the amount of cloves you use. They can add a bitter taste and will spoil the punch if you use them too freely. I think those of you who try this will enjoy it. It would be a perfect drink to serve at a tree trimming party. The recipe appears below. Before I close, I wanted to thank the very special folks who are responsible for the photo blog, Knapkins. They have created a beautiful site and taken away the need for participating blogs to submit photos for publication. They do the hard work and free us to concentrate on our own blogs and recipe creation. It's like having a second pair of hands to help with the work. I really hope you pay them a visit and see how tastefully they do what they do. You can visit their site, here.

Mulled Cranberry and Cider Punch...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 cups apple cider
6 cups cranberry juice
3 cups orange juice
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
Optional: red food coloring

Directions:
Several hours before serving, combine all ingredients in a large heavy pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for several minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit at room temperature for several hours. Reheat before serving. Yield: 20 to 24 servings.








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Cranberry Glazed Pork Skewers + Small Plate Giveaway

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is the last of the Sponsored posts I've written on behalf of the National Pork Board. The board recently conducted a survey to identify food trends that are appealing to American cooks this holiday season. They found six recurring themes for their 2011 Pork's Perfect Paring's guide and asked cookbook author Jill Silverman Hough to develop a pork recipe to go with each of them. They also asked some members of the blogging community to provide recipes and holiday ideas for each of the themes they were highlighting. I focused my attention on the Smitten with Small Plates category and for the last three days I've featured pork dishes that work well as appetizers or small plate meals.

I think you'll all enjoy the recipes I'm featuring and the National Pork Board has a Small Plates gift set waiting for one of you. The gift set includes: $25 worth of pork coupons; Jill Silverman Hough cookbooks, including 100 Perfect Pairings: Main Dishes to Enjoy with the Wines You Love and 100 Perfect Pairings: Small Plates to Enjoy with the Wines You Love; an instant-read digital thermometer; tapas-style small plates and decorative skewers for holiday appetizers. If you'd like a chance to win, simply comment on one, or all three, of the recipes that are part of this promotion. Everyone can enter up to three entries to the drawing. The winner, chosen by a random number drawing, will be announced on Saturday, December 17th. Good luck! While I have received a similar gift package, the opinions in this post are 100% mine.



I decided to use pork tenderloin for the last of the dishes I wanted to make for this promotion. Pork skewers make great finger food and I thought the tenderloin could be made more festive with a cranberry glaze that would add some sweetness and seasonal color to the dish. I also wanted to brighten the final flavor, so I finished the skewers with an orange and cilantro gremolata that worked especially well with the cranberry glaze. These skewers are very easy to make. I hope you will give them a try. Here's the recipe.




Cranberry Glazed Pork Skewers with Cilantro and Orange Gremolata...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Marinade and Sauce:
1 cup cranberry juice
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons dried cranberries, divided use
1/2 cup thick teriyaki sauce
2 teaspoons Asian-style hot chili sauce (i.e. Sriracha)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon lime juice, divided use
Gremolata:
2 tablespoons finely chopped orange zest
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Pork:
1 (12 to 16-oz.) pork tenderloin
24 bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes

Directions:
1) Trim pork tenderloin and remove silver skin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut tenderloin lengthwise into four long pieces each about 1/2 inch thick. Flatten slightly, then cut each strip in half lengthwise. Cut each long strip crosswise into three pieces, each of which will be 3-1/2 to 4-inches long. You should end up with 24 pieces of pork.
2) To make marinade and sauce: Place juice, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, teriyaki sauce, hot chili sauce, salt, cornstarch and 1 teaspoon lime juice in jar of an electric blender. Puree. Place 1/2 cup sauce, reserved 1/4 cup lime juice and pork in a medium bowl, turning pork strips to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place reserved 1 cup sauce in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat and stir until slightly thick and shiny, about 5 minutes.
3) To prepare gremolata: Finely chop reserved 2 tablespoons dried cranberries. Place cranberries, orange zest, garlic and cilantro in a small bowl. Toss to combine. Set aside.
4) To cook pork: Preheat oven broiler element. Thread 1 pork strip on each bamboo skewer and baste lightly with cranberry glaze. Place on a pan and broil skewers 6 inches from heat for 6 to 8 minutes, turning and glazing once.
5) To serve: Sprinkle pork with gremolata and sea salt, if using. Transfer skewers to individual serving plates. Yield: About 24 skewers.

Cook's Note: Be sure to sprinkle each pork skewer with gremolata. It is a necessary component of this dish.








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