Crazy for nutritious cranberries
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Beautiful red cranberries are a native fruit of North America. They get their name, according to the Cape Cod Cranberry Grower’s Association, from the Pilgrims who thought the spring blossoms resembled the head and bill of a Sandhill crane.
Native Americans taught the newcomers the beneficial uses of the cranberry, especially in treating bacterial infections of the urinary tract.
Cranberries do have an acidifying property, as well as being rich in vitamin C, phytochemicals and antioxidants. You can drink 10 ounces of juice or eat 1 ounce of dried berries to enjoy these benefits.
Do you need an easy appetizer to serve this holiday season? Here’s a really tasty one that can be prepared one or two days ahead and kept in the fridge until you need it.
CRANBERRIES AND BRIE
1 puff pastry sheet
1 small round of brie or camembert
3/4 cups dried cranberries, divided
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Unfold the puffy pastry sheet to thaw. Once it’s ready (about 30 minutes), roll it slightly with a rolling pin to ease out any creases.
Place the brie round in the center and gently dimple the perimeter in the dough. Remove the cheese and spread 1/2 cup of the dried cranberries in the circle you just created. Set the brie on top of them. Fold the puff pastry up around the brie, using a little water or egg wash to hold it together, and trim the excess (roll the scraps into a ball, seal in an airtight bag and freeze for future use).
Invert the brie round onto a piece of parchment paper so that your folded bits are face down. You can cut a design out of some of the trimmings to decorate the top, such as a holly leaf with berries, or a snowflake. “Glue” it on with a little more wash. Put this in the fridge for 30 minutes or wrap tightly in plastic and keep refrigerated up to two days.
Place the brie (on the parchment) on a baking sheet and bake 12 minutes or until the puff pastry turns a light brown. In the meantime, microwave the honey with the remaining 1/4 cup of cranberries in 30 second increments until the honey flows smoothly.
Let the brie cool 5 minutes before moving to a serving plate. Spoon the honey/cranberry mixture over the top and serve with crackers or slices of french bread. It will be ooey-gooey, sweet and creamy!
Here’s a very nice cookie that is high in fiber and freezes well.
CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES
1 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cardamom
3 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1 cup dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add vanilla and the eggs, one at a time. Sift the dry ingredients together and blend with butter mixture. Add dried cranberries and drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake about 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly golden and cool.
I love making Julia Child’s open faced, rustic pies as a change to the traditional “crust in a dish.” They look impressive but are very easy to do. If you wanted to use pre-made crust rounds, then this filling should make two pies of that size.
APPLE CRANBERRY PIE
2 lbs. apples
1 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
Pie Dough:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 lb. unsalted butter, very cold, cut into pieces
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup ice water
1 Tbsp. sugar
Glaze:
1 cup apricot jelly
2 Tbsp. sugar
1-2 Tbsp. Gran Marnier
First, make the dough. Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor, then pulse a couple of times to incorporate. Cut the butter into small pieces, add to the flour and pulse until it looks like a coarse meal. Now, add small amounts of ice water as you run the processor until a ball of dough is formed. This should happen very quickly, and stop the minute it does. Turn dough out, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling out.
Core the apples and slice about 1/2 inch thick. Peeling is optional. Toss the apples and dried cranberries with the sugar and cinnamon. Cover and set aside.
Next, prepare the glaze. Pour the apricot jelly into a small saucepan and heat it until it liquefies. Add the sugar and bring to a boil. Boil it, stirring frequently until it thickens up (about 2 minutes). Cool it slightly and add the Gran Marnier if you like.
Roll the dough into a large oval, about 18 inches by 15 inches. Use the rolling pin to transfer this to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread a thin layer of warm glaze in the center, stopping 2 inches from the edges (reserve remaining glaze). Spill the apples in the center and spread them out to within 2 inches from the edge. Lift the edge of the pastry up and fold over the edge of the apples, pleating as you go to ensure a smooth fit. Dot the pie with two tablespoons of butter and bake at 400 degrees F. for 50 to 60 minutes.
Once the pie is done, let it cool a little while you reheat the remaining glaze. Brush the top of the crust with the glaze, and then the top of the pie. A little juice will spill through sometimes while baking and caramelize on the parchment. If the pie is stuck, gently shake the sheet to loosen it, or use a spatula to gently pry it free. This pie is great warm or room temperature, and especially if served with some freshly whipped cream.
This winter beverage is aromatic when it’s brewing. Your whole house will smell wonderful.
HOT CRANBERRY CIDER
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 cinnamon sticks, plus additional to use as stirrers
1 tablespoon whole cloves
6 cups cranberry juice
8 cups apple juice
Light rum, brandy, or bourbon, optional
Unless you don’t mind straining your cider, tie the cloves up in a cheesecloth. Pour the fruit juices in a large pot and stir in the sugar. Add the cinnamon and cloves and heat over medium to just below a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 or 20 minutes.
Serve in coffee cups with cinnamon stick stirrers and a little rum, brandy, or bourbon as well. Take that, Jack Frost!
Next week we’ll look at some more holiday cocktails. By the way, in case you didn’t notice, an Emporian was featured in the Heartland Traditions 2006 magazine. Mary Reber-Charboneau’s Cashew Cream Cookies were a winner in their annual cooking contest. I made a batch last weekend and they are just delicious. Congratulations, Mary, on a wonderful recipe!
I’ll do a little something special for our last meeting in 2006, so this challenge is for the first Wednesday of 2007. It’s a good time for soup. Do you have a great soup or stew recipe you’d like to share? Send it to murphysmenu@yahoo.com or Murphy’s Menu, PO Drawer C, Emporia by December 27. Let’s get cooking!
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