Sweet Cranberry Soda Bread #BreadBakers

Baked with brown sugar and dried cranberries, this sweet cranberry soda bread is delightful as part of a dessert course cheese board. Or all on its own.

This last month of the year, our Bread Baker theme is dessert bread, thanks to our fellow Bread Baker and host, Swathi. 

Her challenge to the group was "Bake any sweet bread, whether yeast, sourdough, or quick version. It will be wonderful to see if you come up with a dessert bread for Christmas. Show your creativity."

Well, my favorite dessert course is actually a cheese platter so I’m always delighted when that is on a restaurant menu. Even better is when they wheel out a special cart and I can choose the few cheeses for my platter. Heaven!

With that in mind, I’ve created a loaf that is slightly sweet, with sweetened dried cranberries as a nod to the Christmas season, that would be perfect to enjoy either plain with butter or with a cheese board as your savory dessert option. 

Sweet Cranberry Soda Bread

If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, an easy substitute is 2 teaspoons of white vinegar added to the measuring cup, then topped up with milk to the required 3/4 cup or 80ml line. Stir and let it rest while you get started with the recipe. 

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups or 312g flour, plus extra for dusting and kneading

1/3 cup, packed, or 66g light brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter (cut into pieces)

3/4 cup or 100g sweetened dried cranberries, plus a few more for topping

3/4 cup or 80ml buttermilk

1 large egg

Method

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat your oven to 400℉ or 200°C. Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the butter piece. Pulse until butter is incorporated and small crumbles are formed.

Pour the flour/butter mixture into a large bowl. Add in the cranberries and use your clean hands to separate the sticky cranberries from each other. 

Add the buttermilk and egg.

Mix until the flour is completely moistened. 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. 

Knead gently 5 to 10 times, dusting flour lightly onto dough if it’s too sticky. Knead just until the dough comes together and is smooth.

Shape into a round then poke a few extra cranberries into the top of the loaf. 

Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. With a sharp knife, slash the top with a large X about ½ in or 1 cm deep. 

Dust the top lightly with a little flour.

Bake until the loaf is golden brown and crusty, 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the X comes out clean. 

Serve warm or at room temperature, preferably as part of a special holiday cheese board.

Enjoy!

It’s the second Tuesday of the month which means, as I mentioned above, it’s time for my Bread Baker friends to share their dessert bread recipes. Many thanks to our host, Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen. Check out the links below 

• Eggnog Babka Knots by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Coconut Pandan Babka by A Messy Kitchen
• Gingerbread by Palatable Pastime
• Sourdough Sweet Potato Loaf by Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Sweet Cranberry Soda Bread by Food Lust people Love
• Eggless Oats Litchi Loaf by Sneha's Recipe
• Sourdough Zucchini Bread by A Day in the Life on the Farm

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Pin this Sweet Cranberry Soda Bread! 

 .

Ann Criswell's Thanksgiving Dressing

Ann Criswell’s Thankgiving Dressing is fluffy and rich. The best combo of regular and cornbread dressing, it's the perfect accompaniment to turkey and gravy.

When I was growing up, the great city of Houston had two daily papers, the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Post. Sort of like mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, your family liked one or the other. 

I have no idea why we got the Chronicle instead of the Post and now my mom isn’t here to ask. But it arrived every day, thrown by a neighborhood boy named Tommy Hannan. Remember when you actually knew your paper boy and he had to collect the money as well as deliver the paper? Tommy was a couple of years older than me but he used to stop by to chat and collect the paper money from Mom. If memory serves, she wrote a check. The real olden days, y'all. 

Anyhoo, as a foodie from way back, one of the columns I enjoyed reading was Ann Criswell’s on food. Mrs. Criswell was the first editor of the Chronicle’s food section which debuted in 1966, a position she held until her retirement in 2000. 

Her interactive columns encouraged readers to write in with questions about methods, ingredients, recipes, in fact, anything to do with food and its preparation. She shared copious recipes and I never failed to learn something from reading her columns. 

She pioneered a format that allowed entire recipes to be neatly cut out and saved, which I’d love to see other magazines and newspaper replicate! So handy. Sadly, Mrs. Criswell was one of our casualties of COVID in 2020. 

Ann Criswell’s Thanksgiving Dressing

I can’t seem to find out which year Mrs. Criswell first shared this recipe which she said was a combination of her own great-grandmother’s dressing and Lady Bird Johnson’s recipe for cornbread dressing. She avowed that it was one of the most requested recipes during her tenure as editor. The original made a much bigger casserole, calling for a quart each of biscuits, bread and cornbread, and can be found here.

Ingredients

2 day-old buttermilk biscuits - mine weighed about 110g

2 slices day-old sandwich bread– mine weighed about 90g

2 pieces day-old cornbread – mine weighed about 200g 

1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped

2 stalks celery, roughly chopped

2 green onions, roughly chopped

4 sprigs fresh parsley

1 teaspoon poultry seasonings

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

2 cups or 480ml (or more if needed) defatted turkey or chicken broth

1/4 cup or 57g melted butter

1 egg, slightly beaten

 

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and butter a casserole dish. 

Crumble the biscuits and cornbread and make fresh bread crumbs out of the sandwich bread. I used my food processor. If it isn’t stale enough, you can toast the bread a little. 

Mince the onion, celery and green onions in a food processor. Add in the parsley leaves and tender stems and pulse until finely chopped. 

In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, cornbread, biscuits, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper and cayenne. Toss well. 

Add the onion, celery, parsley, broth, melted butter and beaten egg. 

Mix well but toss lightly. Mixture should be quite moist, but not soupy.

Place in your buttered baking dish. 

Bake in your preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Serve warm with gravy. Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes for stuffing or dressing. I know for some families those names are interchangeable - I've used this one to stuff turkey, for instance - but everyone seems to have a favorite. Check out the link list below. 

• Ann Criswell's Thanksgiving Dressing from Food Lust People Love
• Classic French Bread Stuffing from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Gnocchi Stuffing from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Keto Homemade Stuffing from Sneha's Recipe
• Mouthwatering Recipe for Thanksgiving Dressing That Will Wow Your Guests! from Our Good Life
• Stove-Top Stuffing Copycat Recipe from Amy's Cooking Adventures

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin Ann Criswell’s Thanksgiving Dressing!

.

Roasted Brace of Guinea Fowl (Sous Vide)

Roasted Brace of Guinea Fowl means two guinea fowl, well spiced and stuffed with clementines, cooked by sous vide then blasted to crispy skin in a very hot oven. The perfect lip-smacking, finger-licking main course for any holiday meal!

N.B. This recipe must be started one day ahead of when you want to roast and serve your guinea fowl. 

One of the things I love about the holiday season is that unusual game birds sometimes turn up in the neighborhood grocery stores or butchers. I’ve found pheasant, guinea fowl, goose and even partridge on occasion and always leap at the opportunity to try something different. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that duck has been on our Christmas menu a couple of years as well. 

Guinea fowl are considered a game bird but, in fact, there has been a great increase in the number of farms that raise them. According the USDA, there are more than 14,500 guinea fowl farms in the Unites States. They are the fourth best selling poultry after chicken, turkey and duck. 

They are relatively small birds, weighing roughly 2-3 lbs or 900-1.4kg, with slightly darker meat than chicken and way more flavor. If you can't find guinea fowl, ask our local butcher to order some for you. Most will oblige.

Roasted Brace of Guinea Fowl (Sous Vide)

Some essential items for this recipe are 1. a sous vide machine aka immersion circulator 2. A vessel large enough to hold the two birds and water to circulate around them and 3. Two heavy bricks or tiles to hold the birds underwater in said vessel. Don’t worry, I provide a photo of the set up below.

Ingredients

2 whole guinea fowl (approx weight each 3 lbs or 1.4kg)

2 tablespoons dry salted spice rub (I used my dry java concoction) 

1/2 teaspoon same spice rub

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

4 small clementines

Method

Clean the guinea fowl, removing the top part of the tail and any stray feathers inspector 12 might have missed. (One of mine had what appeared to be one side of the bird’s head skin as well, connected to the neck skin, top feathers and all. Cooking meat is not for the faint-hearted and this is a reminder to me at least, to appreciate the living beast that I am cooking and eating.)

Spoon the dry rub inside the birds and all over the outside skin, making sure to get some between the legs and body, wings and body, and in the top cavity by the neck as well. If the guinea fowl arrive already trussed, just work your fingers between these bits. If your fowl are not already tied up, do this after seasoning. 

Mix that extra 1/2 teaspoon of dry rub with the 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and sprinkle it on the top of the bird from a great height, so you get an even layer. According to Serious Eats, this helps the skin dry so it will super crispy when roasted. It does get moist again in the sous vide bag but I like to think that if the skin is really dry when we start, it will dry out again quickly with the application of intense heat.

Place your birds in a casserole dish, breast up, uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 hours. 

The following morning, stuff two whole clementines in each bird cavity.  This helps displace air and conduct heat through the birds as well as adding flavor. 

Place each guinea fowl in a gallon bag. Submerge them carefully in water to remove as much of the air inside as possible and seal tightly.

Because there is still some air inside of the birds, they tend to want to float. Cover a couple of bricks or tiles with plastic bags and lean them against the guinea fowl to keep them submerged but make sure water can still circulate around them. I also clothespin the guinea fowl bags to my cooking chopsticks to help center them in the water.

Sous vide at 150°F or 65°C for four hours.

When the timer goes off, remove the bags from the water bath. Carefully remove the guinea fowl from the bags, holding them legs down so liquid can drain out of them and back into the bags. Reserve any juice left behind to add to gravy later. 

Heat your oven to as high as it will go. Pat the birds dry with paper towels, being careful not to break the skin. 

Heat a large iron skillet on the stovetop and place both birds in it. Turn the oven temperature down to 450°F or 232°C convection, if it was higher than that to preheat. Roast the guinea fowl in your very hot oven for about 10 minutes to brown the skin, turning the pan around midway through to ensure even browning. 

Let rest for 10 minutes, cut into joints and serve.

Enjoy! 

Anybody tired of turkey and ham every holiday? It’s Sunday FunDay again and this week we are sharing main course recipes that are anything but ham and turkey! Check out the links below. Many thanks to our host, Sue of Palatable Pastime. 

• Beef Pasanday - Rajasthani Style With a Twist from Sneha’s Recipe
• Cornish Hens Marbella from Palatable Pastime
• Mughlai Egg Curry from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Roasted Brace of Guinea Fowl (Sous Vide) from Food Lust People Love
• Roasted New York Strip Loin from A Day in the Life on the Farm

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin this Roasted Brace of Guinea Fowl (Sous Vide)!

 .

Marmalade Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Marmalade glazed sweet potatoes are a bit sweet, with a lovely sharp edge from the orange marmalade and a good splash of sherry vinegar. They are just as tasty as they are pretty and would make a great addition to your holiday table. I mean, really. Look at that shine!

Over the years, when we lived outside of the United States and away from family, we celebrated Thanksgiving with various groups of friends, some American, others not. When we lived in Paris, we hosted a fun dinner with friends and neighbors. I roasted the turkey, made quite a few side dishes and pecan pies and told everyone to bring the side dish or dishes it simply would not be Thanksgiving in their houses without.

All told, we were about 20 people, children included, and the array of side dishes was downright impressive. There was one dish I was completely unfamiliar with so I had to ask. Apparently creamed pearl onions is a must-have family side for my friend, Teresa.

That was in the days before internet but years later I remember looking it up and creamed pearl onions are a New England favorite. I’ve never made them myself but I remember them fondly from that one special dinner.

In my family, sweet potatoes are one of the must-have side dishes. My grandmothers would make them sweet and sticky, pouring on the Karo syrup with lots of butter. Truly, you could eat them for dessert. 

I like them less sweet, often just with a sprinkling of brown sugar. This recipe with marmalade and sherry vinegar is a little fancier but just as easy.  

Marmalade Glazed Sweet Potatoes

This recipe is wonderful made with butternut squash or pumpkin as well. You can use homemade or store-bought marmalade for this dish. 

Ingredients

2 lbs or 900g sweet potatoes – more or less

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon flakey sea salt or to taste

1/4 cup or 80g thin cut orange marmalade 

2 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar

2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish

2 tablespoons butter

Method

Drizzle the olive oil in a large non-stick pan where the sweet potatoes can fit in one layer. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes and add them to the pan.

Mix together the marmalade, vinegar and the thyme leaves in a microwaveable bowl. Add in the butter and warm in the microwave until the butter starts to melt. Stir till the butter is completely melted and set aside.

Over a medium to high heat, cook the sweet potatoes, tossing or stirring occasionally, until they are browned on many sides, about 8-10 minutes. Add in a few tablespoons of water, turn the fire down to a simmer and cover the pan for 5-6 minutes or until the sweet potatoes cubes are fork tender. 

Remove the lid and add in the marmalade vinegar mixture. Over a medium heat, cook it down carefully until the sauce thickens and the sweet potatoes are well glazed. 

Transfer to warm serving bowl and use a silicone spatula to spoon every last sticky drop of glaze over the sweet potatoes. 

Garnish with thyme, if desired.

Enjoy!

Today’s SundayFunDay theme is That Holiday Feeling! Many thanks to our host Rebekah of Making Miracles. Check out all the great recipes below to get you in the holiday mood!

• Caesar Coleslaw by A Day in the Life on the Farm/
• Crackled Ginger Cookies by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Gingered Shrimp Cups by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Holiday Salad by Making Miracles
• Kohlrabi, Carrot and Spinach Salad by Cook with Renu
• Marmalade Glazed Sweet Potatoes by Food Lust People Love
• Parker House Rolls by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Savory Aloo Masala French Toast Rollups by Sneha's Recipe
• Turkey and Cranberry Reuben Sandwich by Palatable Pastime

Pin these Marmalade Glazed Sweet Potatoes!

 .

 

Candied Fruit Christmas Muffins #MuffinMonday

Candied fruit Christmas muffins are made with a sweet, but not too sweet, vanilla crumb, filled with a mix of chewy fruit. They smell wonderful while they bake, filling the house with the sweet scent of Christmas. Perfect for a holiday breakfast or snack time with a hot cup of tea.

I came across a recipe recently for packaging up muffin mixes as gifts over on the BBC Good Food site and I thought, what an excellent idea!  Not that I was going to make the mixes to give away – I don’t have enough friends nearby who like to bake – but the muffins called for mixed fruit with candied peel.

I don’t know if it’s nostalgia for my grandmother’s fruitcake – she made the only version I would ever eat, not too dry with the just the right mix of fruit and nuts – but candied fruit always makes me think of Christmas. What could be better for this month’s Muffin Monday than a candied fruit Christmas muffin in anticipation of the holidays?

I used my favorite make-ahead breakfast muffin recipe but I cut back on the sugar because of all the candied fruit. These are sweet enough, I promise.

Candied Fruit Christmas Muffins

The chewy fruit and spices make these muffins smell and taste like Christmas. Put these in the oven on Christmas morning and your family will pop out of bed to find out what you are baking!

Ingredients
2 cups or 250g all purpose flour
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup or 150g candied fruit peel and fruit medley, plus a little extra for garnish, if desired
1 cup or 240ml milk
1/2 cup or 120ml canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C. Generously grease cups and top of 12-cup muffin tin or line your pan with muffin paper cups.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, mixed spice and salt, along with the candied fruit. Use your clean hands to mix the fruit in, rubbing the pieces between your fingers to separate those that are stuck together so they can be coated with the flour mixture.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, vanilla and eggs.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold just until dry ingredients are moistened. 

Divide your batter relatively evenly between the 12 muffin cups and top with a few pieces of candied fruit.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until muffins are golden.

Enjoy!

Check out all the other wonderful muffins my Muffin Monday group is sharing today!

• Apple Butter Muffin Tops from Farm Fresh Feasts
• Apple Streusel Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Beet Muffins from Passion Kneaded
• Candied Fruit Christmas Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Crab Corn Muffin from Kelli's Kitchen
• Fruitcake Muffins from Palatable Pastime
• Jim ‘n Nick’s Cheesy Muffins - Copycat from Making Miracles
• Shoofly Muffins from Sew You Think You Can Cook

 #MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.

Pin it!  

.