Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

New recipes are filling up this food editor's holiday table

Certainly no surprise, my mailbox and computer are stuffed like a turkey with holiday recipes: From how to choose and change foods to make them healthy for Thanksgiving (you know, use some chicken broth instead of cream/milk for those mashed potatoes, blah, blah, blah ...) to newfangled ideas for pie ingredients.

If I could color my recipe collection at this moment, it would be cranberry red, pumpkin orange and cinnamon brown.

Here are a pair of recipes that recently arrived. Enjoy! There will be lots more in the near future.

This quick bread from Driscoll's blackberries is very easy to make with the additional benefit of being a very good keeper; it stays moist for days at room temperature. I'm thinking you can sub raspberries and other nuts for this recipe.

Blackberry Walnut Streusel Quick Bread

Streusel:

1 cup lightly toasted walnut halves, finely chopped

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1(*218*)4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1(*218*)4 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Bread:

2 cups fresh blackberries, divided

1 1(*218*)2 cups all-purpose flour

1(*218*)4 teaspoon baking powder

1(*218*)4 teaspoon baking soda

1(*218*)4 teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon), at room temperature

1(*218*)2 cup granulated sugar

1(*218*)4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1(*218*)2 cup sour cream

Make the streusel: Toss the first 5 ingredients together in a bowl. Add melted butter and stir until combined. Divide mixture in half into two bowls; set aside.

Make the quick bread: Arrange oven rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray; thoroughly coat with flour, removing any excess.

Chop 1 cup blackberries and toss them with half of the reserved streusel; set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to aerate and combine; set aside.

Beat the butter with an electric mixer until soft and creamy. Add sugar and brown sugar and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry mixture in three additions, alternately with the sour cream. Begin and end with the dry mixture and beat briefly until just smooth.

Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly with a small offset spatula. Top with streusel/chopped blackberry mixture, forming an even layer. Scrape remaining batter on top, spreading carefully to cover center streusel layer. Top with remaining streusel and place remaining whole blackberries evenly over top, pressing gently to help adhere.

Bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a bamboo skewer inserted in the center shows a few moist crumbs when removed. Cool pan on wire rack for 15 minutes, then unmold directly onto rack, right side up, to cool completely. Wrap in aluminum foil to store at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Makes 10 servings, each with 409 calories, 6 grams protein, 24 grams fat, 45 grams carbohydrates, 85 mg cholesterol, 212 mg sodium, 3 grams fiber.

These yummy, don't-overeat-them fritters from Crisco are just right for a brunch or weekend breakfast.

Apple Fritters with Spiced Syrup

Canola Oil, for deep frying

Batter:

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 medium apple, peeled, cored and chopped to make 1 cup

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon sugar:

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Spiced syrup:

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil to 365 degrees in a deep fryer or deep saucepan.

2. Combine egg and milk in a large bowl. Stir in apple and 1 tablespoon oil.

Combine flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and salt in another bowl.

Add to egg mixture. Stir until just mixed.

3. Drop by tablespoonfuls, a few at a time, into hot oil. Fry about 4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn as needed for even browning. Remove with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels.

4. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a resealable food storage bag. Gently shake fritters in cinnamon-sugar mixture.

5. Mix syrup and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds or until warm.

6. Place fritters in a shallow serving bowl. Drizzle with warm syrup. Serve warm.

Here's how to reach me: Phone, 239-2664; e-mail, sboyle@bnd.com; or write, Suzanne Boyle, Belleville News-Democrat, P.O. Box 427, 120 S. Illinois St., Belleville, IL 62222-0427.