~White Chocolate Craisin Oaties~

Waiting for the White Chocolate Morsels...

It was deja vu!  Our home felt a tad chilly when we awoke this AM and my first thought was recalling where I'd stored the remaining packets of Taster's Choice instant coffee.  After our electricity was restored following the Halloween Nor'easter just weeks ago, there were 5 packets left.  Now, I need my hot coffee in the AM.  Our gas stove allowed me that necessity then and I definitely wanted it again - our indoors thermometer read 55°F.

A few hours later, the electricity was once again restored and I'm now back to preparing for the fun weekend ahead.  That includes baking a batch of White Chocolate Craisin Oaties!  I'll use my recipe for Craisin Raisin Oaties (printable recipe) with a couple changes.  The added Nutmeg - oh yes, yummy!

Changes: 

1. Add 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg.
2. Omit Raisins.
3. Use 3/4 Cup Craisins (dried cranberries).
4. Add in 6 ounces of White Chocolate Morsels (Nestle's)
5. Baking Time was 13 minutes.

White Chocolate Craisin Oaties are so good!  This weekend I baked a batch to bring to our neighbors' gathering.  During the baking process, there was definite "quality control" testing going on.  After all, one cannot offer a dessert that does not meet the "absolutely yummy I want another" standard.  :)  It was sure difficult to eat only two while baking! 

Now, another batch will be baked for my family to...

Enjoy!
Yummy!

        

CranOrange Coffee Cake

CranOrange Coffee Cake (cooling)

There is only one way that my family enjoys Ocean Spray Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce - and that's in CranOrange Coffee Cake!  Enjoying a slice of this moisty colorful cake after dinner on Christmas Day has become a tradition.  During the holiday season it can be baked early on, cooled, wrapped in foil and placed in the freezer.  Then, the day before serving, this cake (that is baked in a Bundt or Tube Pan) is defrosted and an Almond flavored icing drizzled over the top.  Yum!   

Years ago, I used Ocean Spray CranOrange Relish when preparing this tasty dessert.  Since I no longer can locate this item in grocery stores, the Whole Berry Sauce combined with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of Orange Extract works very well.
 

Ready for the oven

I try to use less Whole Eggs when baking, so rather than use 2 Whole Eggs, I use 1 Whole Egg + 2 Egg Whites in the batter.  1 Whole Egg = 2 Egg Whites when baking.  Fat Free Sour Cream is also an ingredient.  The recipe for our favorite cake is below. 

CranOrange Coffee Cake  printable Recipe Card

Oven: 350°F

Time: Bake 55 Minutes or until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.

Ingredients:
1 Stick (8 Tablespoons) Unsalted Margarine/Butter, softened
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Egg + 2 Egg Whites (or 2 Whole Eggs)
2 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Fat Free Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Almond Extract
*****
8 ounces Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce Plus
1 and 1/2 teaspoons Orange Extract

OR 1 container CranOrange Relish

Method:

1. Spray 9" or 10" Bundt Pan or Tube Pan with PAM & flour.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Using mixer, Cream Margarine/Butter with Sugar.
4. Add 1 Whole Egg + 2 Egg Whites (or 2 Whole Eggs) and blend well.
5. Add dry ingredients alternating with Sour Cream.  End with the dry ingredients.
6. Add Almond Extract.
7. Combine 8 ounces Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Orange Extract in separate bowl (if using).
8. Place 1/2 of batter in Bundt Pan, spread evenly.
9. Top with 1/2 of Sauce, spread.
10. Carefully add remaining batter, spread.
11. Follow with remaining Sauce, spread.
12. Bake at 350°F for 55 Minutes or until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
13. Cool on wire rack for 5 Minutes.
14. Remove cake from pan and cool.
15. After cooling, wrap in foil and freeze until needed.

The day before CranOrange Coffee Cake will be served, defrost and drizzle with Topping.

Topping:  Blend 3/4 Cup Confectioner's Sugar, 2 Tablespoons Water + 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract until smooth. 

Every year we enjoy this delicious CranOrange Coffee Cake with an Almond Icing!  And...a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side!  The beginning of this week my "to do' list includes baking and freezing our Christmas cake.

Does your family enjoy a special cake during the holidays? 

Enjoy!
Yummy!

~Tasty Treats~

Craisins, Raisins, Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Brown Sugar added!

Thanksgiving was GREAT!  The long weekend was packed with chatting it up with the family!  As usual, earlier, there were the traditional foods to prepare, but this year a tad little less time for baking.  So glad that I had planned to bake Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp after the Butternut Squash Custard Pie came out of the oven.  There are times when an easy tasty dessert made with sliced fruit tastes just absolutely delicious!  It was one of those times!  As you know, I m not much into purchasing baked goods and I try to keep the sugar to flour ratio low when baking.  

In Apple Crisp no pie crust needs to be rolled out.  Raisins & Craisins are mixed in with the apples before baking.  The oat topping is spread over the top of the thinly sliced apples.  It's easy to prepare and it tastes wonderful!  We all agreed, the NUTMEG added into the crumb mixture tasted divine!  My younger son has put in his request for this dessert the next time he stops in.

Needs a Small Scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream!

Now, after baking the Butternut Squash Custard Pie, there was extra unbaked pie crust.  Tasty Treats are the anticipated dessert whenever I roll out pie crust.  After making these for so many years, they have become the Part 2 when baking a pie.  Any remaining extra dough is formed into a ball and rolled out.  Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Craisins & Raisins are scattered over the top of the dough.  Then, starting at one end, the dough is rolled into a log and lightly pressed.  Next, cut the log into slices.  Onto a foil lined baking sheet the slices are placed - a 350° F oven for about 20-22 Minutes or until slightly browned.

Tasty Treats - Another Tradition

The Tasty Treats are a wonderful way to use leftover dough.  And such a treat - little rolls of fruit and flaky baked dough.  It's always part of baking a pie.  It sure does not taste like a "leftover"!  Do you also bake these?  What does your family call them?

Thanksgiving weekend was FUN and our little toddler grandson kept us moving!  :)

We enjoyed the holiday weekend!

        

Turkey a la King



The Guest Towels are Ready!

Every year just before Thanksgiving when Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce is a featured special at my grocery store I purchase both the jellied and the whole berry sauces.  There are some Thanksgiving Day traditions that I savor from my own childhood.  One tradition is placing a tangy slice of this cold jellied sauce next to steaming turkey slices and mashed potatoes (that are topped with yummy gravy) on my dinner plate.  Oh, definitely, mashed Butternut Squash is also present.  That was also a tradition of my DH's family.  Yes, I could prep the whole berry sauce earlier during Thanksgiving week and we could enjoy that, but it would not be the same as both of our childhood memories.  This tradition has continued.  Our sons have always kept a watch for the can of  Cranberry Sauce while grazing in the fridge before dinner. 

This treat is enjoyed with our Thanksgiving Day Dinner, enjoyed the next day with Hot Turkey Sandwiches and then enjoyed once again with Turkey a la King that is served over toasted Oatmeal Bread.

There is always enough roasted turkey remaining for that last meal.  Turkey a la King is delicious and it's very easy to prepare.

Turkey a la King
Serves 2 - 3 Adults

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Margarine/Butter (I use unsalted.)
1/3 Cup Flour
1 Cup Chicken/Turkey Broth (I use College Inn Light & Fat Free Chicken Broth.)
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup (cooked) Turkey chunks, cut up, more if desired
2 Cups Cooked Carrots &/or Peas combined

Toasted Bread

Method:

1. Melt Margarine/Butter in skillet.
2. Remove skillet from Medium heat and slowly stir in Flour.
3. Return to heat and slowly add in Chicken Broth & Milk while slowly stirring constantly.
4. Continue stirring over heat until sauce is thick and bubbly.
5. Add Turkey chunks.
6. Add in cooked vegetables.   
7. Stir and heat mixture for 1 - 2 Minutes.
8. Serve over toasted Bread.

This meal always uses the remaining pieces of roasted Turkey and we always remember the Cranberry Sauce!

Maybe there will be a few slices of Cranberry Bread (click on name) to enjoy later for dessert.  In New England we do like Cranberry Bread.  :)  Two of these breads filled with fresh chopped cranberries are on my "to bake" list for tomorrow along with Butternut Squash Custard Pie (click on name).   

Enjoy the holiday with your family & friends.  We have much to be thankful for and it is always good to appreciate what we have.

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

~Craisin Raisin Oaties~

Craisin Raisin Oaties

Yes, four had been taken out of the orange cookie canister and stored in a small Ziploc Freezer bag, then placed in my freezer!  WooHoo! 
On Monday the outside temperature on our thermometer read 83°F and it is October!  We do enjoy Indian Summer here in Western MA, but who would have guessed that it would feel like a day in the mid summer?  Who would also guess that I would be baking Craisin Raisin Oaties on a very warm day?  Well, I made the commitment to bring refreshments to a Docent Class I was attending on Tuesday and  a promise is a promise. 

From the "get go" I knew that old fashioned oats would be used when I was baking the goodies.  Craisin Raisin Oaties definitely rank as one of the three fave cookies in my fam.  While growing up, my mom would bake them, but she did not include the Craisins.  They were not an ingredient we were accustomed to, even though I did live in MA.  Driving back from Boston after a Boston College Football game one Saturday many years ago, we stopped at a Rest Area on the Mass Pike.  One of the snacks offered in the "goodies" case was Oatmeal Cookies containing both Raisins and Craisins.  What a combo!  From that day I always added both whenever I baked Oatmeal cookies.

Usually when I bake these yummy nutritious cookies, I make a double batch.  They freeze very well when stored in Ziploc Freezer bags, so the small amount of extra time and effort is totally worth it.  However, the heat of the day on Monday called for only one batch to be baked.  So glad that I stored those four cookies in the freezer!  :)  Yummy!

Craisin Raisin Oaties

Oven :  350°F
Yield:  About 3 and 1/2 Dozen

Ingredients:

1 Cup (2 sticks) Butter/Margarine, softened
1 Cup Brownulated Sugar (or Brown Sugar)
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs (OR 1 Egg + 2 Egg Whites)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Salt (optional) - I do not use any Salt.
1 and 1/2 Cups Flour
3 Cups Quaker Oats (Old Fashioned, uncooked)
1/2 Cup Craisins (dried Cranberries)
1/2 Cup Raisins

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In large mixing bowl, beat Butter/Margarine with Sugars until creamy.
3. Add Eggs, (Egg Whites) & Vanilla Extract.  Beat well.
4. Add Baking Soda, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, optional Salt & Flour.  Mix well.
5. With large spoon or spatula, stir in Oats. 
6. Add Craisins & Raisins.  Stir well.
7. Place 12 rounded Tablespoons of batter on ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake 10 - 12 Minutes until golden brown. 
9. After removing from oven, cool cookies in pan about 2 minutes before removing cookies from pan and placing on wire rack to cool.
10. Cool & Enjoy!

The infamous four cookies found in my freezer were defrosted last night.  Using two cookies and a small amount of Vanilla ice cream the Craisin Raisin Oatie Ice Cream Sandwich tasted scrumptious!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

   

Chicken Tenderloins with Craisin Mustard Sauce

Reheated in the microwave the second night - Yum!

Cranberries add a great zing to foods!  The dried cranberries, Craisins, are also very delicious.  Maybe I also enjoy them because I live in MA and cranberries are harvested here in autumn.  While traveling past cranberry bogs when we were at the Cape two weeks ago I kept thinking about a recipe that I had bookmarked on the Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. website.  Chicken!  Craisins! Yellow Mustard! And Wine!  My DH & I enjoy so many dishes where chicken is a main ingredient, so adding the tangy Craisins + spicy Yellow Mustard just sounded wonderful. This recipe makes four servings, so we enjoyed it for two evenings.  This sure is not a meal that I would put in the "leftover" category.  This is one delicious colorful chicken dish bursting with flavor!

Chicken Tenderloins with Cranberry Mustard Sauce

Adapted from Ocean Spray Cranberries

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Craisins
1/2 Cup cold water
*******
1 Lb. Chicken Tenderloins
1/2 Cup Flour
1-2 shakes from my Pepper shaker
2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil (Cooking & Sauteing)
2/3 Cup Dry White Wine
2/3 Cup Chicken Broth
3 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
1 and 1/2 teaspoons Cornstarch

Method:

1. Place Craisins in small bowl and cover with 1/2 Cup Cold Water.
2. Combine Flour + Pepper in Ziploc bag.
3. Rinse Chicken Tenderloins under cold water and place in Ziploc Bag containing Flour/Pepper.
4. Close bag and coat Chicken.
5. Place 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil in large saute pan, heat over Medium heat.
6. Add Flour coated Chicken.
7. Cook Chicken about 2 minutes on each side, until Chicken is cooked.
8. Place cooked Chicken on a large dish.
9. Remove saute pan from heat.
10. Using about 2 Tablespoons of the measured Chicken Broth, dissolve Cornstarch in small cup.
11. Place remaining Chicken Broth in saute pan.  Stir around scraping up browned bits.  Add Wine + Yellow Mustard, stir together.  Turn on heat.  Add Cornstarch mixture and stir.
12. Stir mixture and bring to a boil.  Boil 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens.  Add drained Craisins and cook 1 minute longer while stirring.
13. Add browned Chicken to sauce and heat until Chicken is hot.
14. Serve with Rice. 

The ingredients for this tasty dish are usually found in my kitchen.  I can picture a cold dark winter evening with the snow falling quickly while the aroma of mustard, Craisins and wine float from my kitchen.  This is one quick, delicious way to prepare chicken.  So happy I stopped in to visit the Ocean Spray website. Thank you Ocean Spray!   :)

Enjoy!
Yummy!