Home made Vanilla and Cranberry Liqueur

 Holiday gift giving or for your own cooking you can make your own vanilla and liqueur with ease.
Cranberry Liqueur
Heat 3/4 c sugar with 3/4 c water until dissolved, set aside to cool.
Finely chop 2 c whole fresh cranberries
Add sugar water and cranberries to 2 c vodka and place in jar or bottle, seal and store in cool dark cupboard shaking every other day. Allow at least 3 weeks until use.

 Vanilla
Split one large vanilla bean lengthwise and add to approx. 2 c vodka.
Shake a few times a week and allow 10-12 weeks. You will see the vanilla grow darker until it reaches a rich color. Photo below is about 4 weeks in for the vanilla and the very day liqueur was made.

Vanilla beans will be sold at better grocery stores or in a natural foods section. They are usually around $3.00 each. Bottles were purchased at TJ Max.
Here is an online source for bottles -Specialty Bottles.

Foodie Friday
Lamb around

Cran Apple Crisp

Is there anything better than warm apple crisp on a cool fall evening? I don't know, first that amazing smell in the kitchen then the burst of apple and cinnamon...why not push it to the limit with a little cranberry.


Ingredients
6-8 large apples, peeled cored and chopped
lemon
1/4 c  white sugar
3/4 c dried cranberries
1 1/2 c brown sugar
1 c flour
1 c oats
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2/3 c softened butter + 1/4 c

Place sliced apples into a bowl with lemon, white sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Mix well, add cranberries, set aside.
spraya 9X13 pan
In another bowl mix brown sugar, flour, oats, 1 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, cut in 2/3 c butter with a pastry blender or fork until coarse crumbs are made.
Drain apples and cranberries and place in pan, dot with 1/4 c butter. Evenly spread crumb mixture over top and bake at 350 for 30 min or until apples are tender.

Home made Granola

Easy and Yummy, I am not a big one for granola but my friend Dianna shared this recipe for me and I must say it is wonderful! I have made some changes from the original, so feel free to customize it to your taste.

3 c rolled old fashioned oats
1 c sliced almonds
3/4 c shredded coconut
1/4 c wheat germ
1/4 c oat bran
1/3 c dark brown sugar
1/4 c oil
1/4 c maple syrup
1/4 c honey or agave
1 tsp salt
1 c dried cranberries
1/2 c chopped dried apricots, pears or mixture of both
1 c white, milk or dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 250
Mix oats, almonds, coconut, wheat germ, oat bran and brown sugar in large bowl
In another bowl whisk together oil, honey, syrup and salt.
Pour over mixture, stir well and place in 13 X 9 pan and bake 1 hour 15 min. stirring every 15 min.
Remove and cool on wax paper. When completely cool place in large bowl, add fruit and chocolate chips, Break up any large pieces and mix well.

 Sweet Tooth Friday

Pineapple Cranberry Coffee Cake

 Pineapple Cranberry Coffee Cake

 From Relish Magazine, Dec 2007

1 20 oz can chunk pineapple, drained ( I used 1 can for two cakes)
1/2 c brown sugar
2 Tbs gold rum or 1 Tbs rum extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 c sugar
1/2 c butter, softened
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 c low fat buttermilk*
1 c fresh chopped cranberries

Preheat oven to 350
Line a 9 inch pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
Combine pineapple, brown sugar rum and cinnamon and place in bottom of  cake pan.
Whisk flour, soda, powder and salt in medium bowl. In large bowl beat butter and sugar, beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with milk. Stir in cranberries and pour over pineapple mixture.
Bake 35-40 minutes. cool 5 min then invert onto serving plate.
 * if you do not have butter milk, place 1 Tbs lemon juice or vinegar in 1 c measuring cup and fill with milk, let stand 5 minutes.

 This was so good, I am glad I made two!!

Cranberry Pear Scones

2 c flour

1c wheat flour

1/3 c sugar

1 Tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

6 Tbs. chilled butter

1/3 c chopped dried pear, or other dried fruit

1/3 c dried cranberries

3/4 c buttermilk

1 large egg

1 large egg white

cooking spray

1 Tbs sugar

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly spray baking sheets or stoneware.

Mix flours, baking soda and powder, 1/3 c sugar and salt, cut in butter by using a pastry blender or a grater.

 Stir in dried fruit.

Mix buttermilk*, egg and egg white and add to mixture just until evenly moistened.  Pat dough into two rectangles on lightly floured surface, cut into eighths. place onto baking sheets and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 400 for 12 minutes. Serve warm.

* if you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can sour your milk by adding 1 Tbs. of lemon juice or vinegar to a one cup measuring cup, then filling to level with regular milk, let stand 3 min.

Cranberry Apple Salad

Chop 2 heads of Romain lettuce

2 c fresh spinach

dice or leave in rings, 1/2 red onion

seed and chop 1 large apple, leave the peel on

toss in 1/2 c dried cranberries

add 1/2 c pecans or walnuts

drizzle with Balsamic vinegar and olive oil, or top with your favorite dressing.

Cranberry Short Bread

2 sticks butter at room temp

2 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c finely chopped dried cranberries

Combine butter, p sugar and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Pat into an 8X8 pan. bake at 325 for 20 min, until golden.

You can form into rolls, wrap, chill and slice these, or cut into shapes.

My friend Jan made many batches of these one year and they have become a favorite of mine, similar to a classic shortbread.

Cranberry Flax Muffins

1 1/2 c bran flakes cereal

3/4 c all purpose flour

3/4 c wheat flour

1/2 c ground flax

1/4 c brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

2 egg whites

1 c skim milk or 1% buttermilk

1/2 c honey

1/4 c canola oil

1 1/2 c cranberries

2 Tbs whole flax seed

In large bowl combine cereal, flours, ground flax, br. sugar, b powder, b soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In another bowl whisk egg, egg whites, milk ,honey and oil.

Stir together just until moistened, stir in cramberries.

Spray muffin tins, fill 2/3 full, sprinkle with flax seeds.

Bake at 375 for 10-15 min.