Cranberry Recipes-Part 2

I discovered a new cranberry recipe last month.....from Martha Stewart Living of all places!

Typically I cannot concoct any of her recipes, because they include ingredients that (for some reason) I just don't have on hand.

Goat cheese. Tarragon. Italian basil. Cooking sherry. Prosciutto.

Call me crazy, but I usually do not pick those items up at the local market
on my weekly shopping trips. :-)

But this recipe was SIMPLE, delicious, and included ingredients I had sitting around the house. (Martha has come down to the common folk at last.....)

I made it for a friends' brunch, then for my family, and again over Christmas for my parents and my sister's family. Everyone loved it each time.

Enjoy making some and impressing your closest critics!


Apple-Cranberry Crumble

4 apples, peeled and cored
1 cup fresh or frozen (unthawed) cranberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 t. ground cinnamon
Coarse salt
8 T. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped (I left these out)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
6 T. packed light-brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425. Quarter apples lengthwise, then thinly slice. Toss in a large bowl with cranberries, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until evenly coated.

2. Butter a 9x13 glass or ceramic baking dish. Mix pecans, flour, oats, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl until combined. Work in butter with your fingertips until topping is crumbly, with pea-size chunks.

3. Spread apple mixture in prepared dish; sprinkle with topping. Bake until filling is bubbling and topping is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Serves 8

(Martha Stewart Living, October 2009)

Don't get "bogged" down with bad recipes....

When we were traveling back from WI for Thanksgiving, we stopped at Walmart (as usual.) As I was picking up some snacks for the car, I noticed fresh cranberries on sale for $0.99/bag!!! And they were fresh Wisconsin cranberries besides! I picked a few bags--I love to have them on hand in the freezer. (In fact, I am kind of obsessed with cranberry stuff....) I will share some of my top cranberry recipes over the next few weeks.

Here is one of my favorite cranberry recipes. I used to make them for my husband's soccer team and I always got requests for more. :-) These muffins MELT in your mouth!

Batter:
1 egg
6 T. milk
6 T. butter or margarine, softened
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 t. baking powder
6 T. superfine sugar (I use regular old sugar and it works fine :-)
2/3 cup frozen cranberries, partially defrosted

Topping:
2 T. superfine or confectioner's sugar
1 t. cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2-3 muffin tins (15 cups).
2. Whisk together the egg and milk. Beat in the softened butter or margarine.
3. Sift together the flour and baking powder and stir into the mixture with the sugar. Mix thoroughly until smooth, then add the cranberries, folding them in gently.
4. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tins, filling them 3/4 full. Mix the topping ingredients together and sprinkle over the muffins. Bake for 20 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the tins for 2-3 minutes, then turn them out and serve immediately.

Makes 15
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

(Taken from The Cranberry Cookbook--Hamlyn)

Bargain Meal of the Week: December 2-8, 2009

We all need easy meals this month. There is enough going on as it is.....without having to prepare gourmet meals for the family. :-)

So, enjoy the simple meal this week, and enjoy making Christmas memories with your family!

"Taking Time for Decorating" Meal: Spaghetti and French Bread with Fruit Salad

Barilla Pasta--10/$10 (use 1 box of thin spaghetti)
Hunt's Pasta Sauce--10/$10 (I like the meat sauce)
Italian or Sourdough Bread--$1.49 (pick up your favorite loaf! ;-)

Bartlett Pears--10/$10 (use 1)
Organic Apples--10/$10 (use 1)
Geisha Mandarin Oranges--$0.88

Est. Cost: $5.87

And make sure you check out local deals over at BeCentsable!