Berry Merry Glazed Coffee Cake

A red cake filled with cranberries and nuts is the perfect addition to our Christmas offerings. It is so festive and a great way to use up extra homemade cranberry sauce. This is my kind of “fruit cake.”

Berry Merry Glazed Coffee Cake

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup fruit juice (such as apple, orange or even cranberry)

1 1/4 cups leftover cranberry sauce or use canned whole berry sauce

1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans

 

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons juice 

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9 ″ x 5″ loaf pan with parchment paper cut to size; spray paper and sides of pan with pan release. 
2. Combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg and cinnamon in small bowl; set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Add vanilla, juice, cranberry sauce and nut. Mix well. 
   
4. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture just until moistened. Spread mixture in a prepared loaf pan.
   
5. Bake about 45 to 50 minutes hour or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool on a rack.
7. Glaze: Mix powdered sugar and juice. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Recipe without photos . . . Berry Merry Glazed Coffee Cake

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup fruit juice (such as apple, orange or even cranberry)

1 1/4 cups leftover cranberry sauce or use canned whole berry sauce

1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans

 

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons juice 

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Line a 9 ″ x 5″ loaf pan with parchment paper cut to size; spray paper and sides of pan with pan release. 
2. Combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg and cinnamon in small bowl; set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Add vanilla, juice, cranberry sauce and nut. Mix well.  
4. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture just until moistened. Spread mixture in a prepared loaf pan.
5. Bake about 45 to 50 minutes hour or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool on a rack.
7. Glaze: Mix powdered sugar and juice. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Healthy Fall Applesauce Parfait

Attempting to reduce our reliance on refined sugars, I’ve been making natural applesauce. This is a fanciful version that was pleasing to both the eyes and the palate. 

Healthy Fall Applesauce Parfait

Apples, cored & cut into chunks with the skins left on

A small amount of water, apple juice or apple cider (just a couple of tablespoons for 4 to 6 apples; the apples release their own natural juices as they cook)

 

Optional Flavorings:

Spices: add a cinnamon stick (or part of one) to apples at the beginning of the cooking period or add ground cinnamon and possibly some nutmeg as apples are blended

Honey: use only if needed for added sweetness

 

Optional Toppings:

Yogurt flavored with honey

Pomegranate seeds

Coarsely chopped walnuts 

1. Add prepared apples and a little water or juice to a saucepan or slow cooker (add cinnamon stick if using). If using saucepan, cover and cook on low until apples are tender. If using slow cooker, add ingredients to ceramic bowl and cook on high for a couple of hours or on low for about four hours. Test apples to make sure they are tender.
   
   
   
   
2. Cool and then add to the work bowl of a blender, blend until smooth. (Very small chunks of skin may remain.)
   
3. Taste and flavor with spices and honey if desired.
4. To create a parfait — add chilled applesauce to a parfait or juice glass. Top with honeyed yogurt, pomegranate seeds and walnuts. Or, add other toppings of your choice.  

Recipe without photos . . . Healthy Fall Applesauce Parfait

Apples, cored & cut into chunks with the skins left on

A small amount of water, apple juice or apple cider (just a couple of tablespoons for 4 to 6 apples; the apples release their own natural juices as they cook)

 

Optional Flavorings:

Spices: add a cinnamon stick (or part of one) to apples at the beginning of the cooking period or add ground cinnamon and possibly some nutmeg as apples are blended

Honey: use only if needed for added sweetness

 

Optional Toppings:

Yogurt flavored with honey

Pomegranate seeds

Coarsely chopped walnuts 

1. Add prepared apples and a little water or juice to a saucepan or slow cooker (add cinnamon stick if using). If using saucepan, cover and cook on low until apples are tender. If using slow cooker, add ingredients to ceramic bowl and cook on high for a couple of hours or on low for about four hours. Test apples to make sure they are tender.
2. Cool and then add to the work bowl of a blender, blend until smooth. (Very small chunks of skin may remain.)
3. Taste and flavor with spices and honey if desired.
4. To create a parfait — add chilled applesauce to a parfait or juice glass. Top with honeyed yogurt, pomegranate seeds and walnuts. Or, add other toppings of your choice.  

Slow Cooker Country-Style Ribs and Kraut

Easy, homemade Sauerkraut (fermented by the quart), an apples and onions of course,
Slow Cooker Country-Style Ribs and Kraut combine to create a perfectly balanced and tasty  slow cooked meal. Barry commented that  sourness of the sauerkraut is offset by the sweetness of the apple and apple juice. Yum!

Slow Cooker Country-Style Ribs and Kraut   About 4+ servings
2 lb. boneless pork country-style ribs
Kosher salt & pepper
1 medium cooking apple, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
2 to 4 cups sauerkraut, drained — I used homemade and we like LOTS of kraut so I recommend 5 cups; this would be equivalent to about 2 (14 oz.) cans
1/4 cup apple juice or apple cider

1. In a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker, add ribs and sprinkle with salt and pepper; then add apple and onion slices. Pour apple juice or cider over the top.
   
   
   
   
2. Cover and cook 8 to 10 hours on Low. The meat will be tender and ready to eat in about 5 hours but the flavor is better if left longer + the kraut also browns if left in the cooker for the longer time period. Pork will also be fork-tender at the end of about 8 hours.
   

Recipe without photos . . .

Slow Cooker Country-Style Ribs and Kraut   About 4+ servings

2 lb. boneless pork country-style ribs
Kosher salt & pepper
1 medium cooking apple, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
2 to 4 cups sauerkraut, drained — I used homemade and we like LOTS of kraut so I recommend 5 cups; this would be equivalent to about 2 (14 oz.) cans
1/4 cup apple juice or apple cider

1. In a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker, add ribs and sprinkle with salt and pepper; then add apple and onion slices. Pour apple juice or cider over the top.
2. Cover and cook 8 to 10 hours on Low. The meat will be tender and ready to eat in about 5 hours but the flavor is better if left longer + the kraut also browns if left in the cooker for the longer time period. Pork will also be fork-tender at the end of about 8 hours.

Caramel Apple Sundaes - A Fall Treat!

     On the way home from our class at The Cook’s Nook in McPherson, we stopped in Lindsborg for their Swedish festival. Despite the rain, they managed to have a parade and we took in some traditional Swedish dancing, and even saw a few friends.

     Caramel Apple Sundaes were being offered at one of the food booths. While they looked delicious, we were way too full to eat anything else. However, the idea stuck with us and so we’ve created our own version of a dessert that is sure to become a seasonal must at our house.

Caramel Apple Sundaes

Apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced— such as Golden Delicious, Red Rome,

Granny Smith, Jonathan – allow about 1 apple for 2 to 3 sundaes

About 1 tablespoons butter per apple

About 1 to 2 tablespoons craisins per apple, optional

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

About 2 to 3 tablespoons apple juice or cider for 1 apple (water would work, too)

1 recipe Creamy Caramel sauce or purchased prepared caramel ice cream sauce

Vanilla Ice Cream

Toasted Pecans

Optional: Pie crust triangles -- made from your favorite recipe or use pre-made dough:  sprinkle dough with cinnamon & sugar, cut into triangles (no need to separate as dough will shrink as it bakes), prick and bake crust according to recipe directions,

1.     Apples - Melt butter in a skillet (non-stick works well) over medium heat. Add apples, craisins, cinnamon, and salt, and sauté until apples begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add juice or cider and simmer until nearly evaporated; keep apple mixture warm until ready to serve. 

      Or cool, refrigerate and re-heat when ready to assemble. When ready to serve, add desired amount of warm caramel sauce to warm apples.

2.     Caramel Sauce – prepare according to recipe that follows.

3.     To assemble – Scoop ice cream into bowls, drizzle with warm caramel apples and sprinkle with toasted pecans.

Creamy Caramel Sauce

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

½ cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon dark rum, optional

1.     In a saucepan combine sugar and butter. Cook stirring constantly, over medium heat, until mixture reaches a boil.  

      Turn to low and whisk in in cream and then rum. 

2.     Let cool and store in refrigerator. Sauce thickens as it cools.

3.     Serve at room temperature or re-heat.