Cranberry Raisin Pecan Knot Food

NUTTY CRANBERRY RELISH

Steps:

• Put the cranberries in a medium saucepan and transfer 1/2 cup of the cranberries to a small bowl.
• Add 1 cup sugar, the strip of orange or lemon zest and 2 tablespoons water to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries are soft, about 10 minutes.
• Increase the heat to medium and cook until the cranberries burst, about 12 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to low and stir in the reserved 1/2 cup cranberries. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and add more sugar, if desired.
• Quarter the unpeeled orange and apple; remove and discard the seeds. Roughly chop the fruit with 1/2 cup sugar in a food processor.
• Fold the orange and apple mixture into cranberry sauce along with the chopped toasted pecans. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

CRANBERRY KNOTS

Steps:

• Make the Basic Dinner-Roll Dough, using the cranberries, lemon zest and nutmeg as the mix-ins. Let rise as directed.
• Lightly coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough and pat into a rectangle. Cut the dough into 24 equal pieces with a bench scraper or chef's knife. Roll each piece into a 7- to 8-inch-long rope. Tie each rope into a knot. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let stand until puffy, about 45 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees F. Brush the knots with the beaten egg. Bake, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the rolls are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Warm the milk and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan or in the microwave until very warm (110 degrees F). Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook; mix in the sugar, yeast and 1 cup flour until combined but still lumpy. Let stand until the mixture is very bubbly, about 30 minutes.
• Add the butter, salt and 2 cups flour; mix on medium speed until smooth and elastic, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs until combined, scraping the bottom and side of the bowl as needed. Add 1 1/4 cups flour and the mix-ins, if using; mix until the dough is smooth and starts to gather into a loose ball, about 4 minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky; if it's too wet, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour.
• Lightly oil a large bowl; scrape the dough into the bowl and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

CRANBERRY, RAISIN & PECAN KNOT

Steps:

• Mix the flour, yeast and salt and 1½ tsp of the caster sugar in a large mixing bowl. Put in the butter and rub it into the flour. Make a dip in the centre of the flour and pour in almost 300ml hand warm (cool rather than hot) water, with a round-bladed knife. Then mix in enough of the remaining water and a bit more if needed, to gather up any dry bits in the bottom of the bowl, until the mixture comes together as a soft, not too sticky, dough. Gather it into a ball with your hands.
• Put the dough onto a very lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 mins until it feels smooth and elastic, only adding the minimum of extra flour if necessary to prevent the dough sticking. Place the ball of dough on a lightly floured work surface. Cover with an upturned, clean, large glass bowl and leave for 45 mins-1 hr or until doubled in size and feels light and springy. Timing will depend on the warmth of the room.
• Knock back the dough by gently kneading just 3-4 times. You only want to knock out any large air bubbles, so too much handling now will lose the dough's lightness. Shape into a ball, then cover and leave for 10 mins.
• Shape by flattening the dough into a rectangle, about 28 x 18cm, scatter on the cranberries, raisins and chopped pecans, then roll up tightly from one of the short ends. Roll into a 52cm-long sausage. Tie into a simple knot and lay on a baking parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and leave for 40-45 mins, or until doubled in size.
• Put a roasting tin in the bottom of the oven 20 mins before ready to bake and heat oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Put the risen bread in the oven, carefully pour about 250ml cold water into the roasting tin (this will hiss and create a burst of steam to give you a crisp crust), then lower the heat to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Bake for 20 mins or until golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack. If you tap the underneath of the loaf if should be firm and sound hollow.
• Finish by making a spiced sugar glaze with the remaining caster sugar, cinnamon and 1 tsp hot water. Brush over bread while it is still warm.

CRANBERRY, PECAN & GOLDEN RAISIN GRANOLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees, I use a large turkey roaster for this recipe, you will need to have plenty of room to mix well.
• In a large GLASS mixing bowl pour in orange juice then the orange peel, stir & set aside.
• Put in the first 9 ingredients into the lg. roaster, I use my hands to mix, you want to separate all the fruit & rubbing with the flour keeps them from sticking back together, but more importantly it will allow the wet ingredients to fully coat all the fruit & nuts.
• Returning to the lg. glass bowl, add the remaining ingredients. Using a wire whisk beat until emulsified. They will start to take on a cloudy appearance. Pour over the dry ingredients in the roaster. using a large metal spoon stir together very well, I will usually spend at least 5 minutes or more on this, it does make a difference.
• Using glass (5-6 pcs)or metal baking pans with sides (4-5 pcs) pour mix into required pans to keep mix less than an inch in the height of the pans. Bake in center position for a hour, mixing bottom to top every 15 minute. Remove from oven & stir once more, leave in pans to cool. Do not over bake, it will continue to crisp as it cools.
• Will keep in air tight containers for 2 weeks or in freezer for 4 weeks.

CRANBERRY PECAN SCONES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In another bowl, beat the eggs, orange juice, vanilla and orange zest. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in cranberries and pecans., Pat dough into a 6-1/2-in. circle on a greased baking sheet. Combine egg white and water; brush over dough. Cut into eight wedges (do not separate). , Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

CRANBERRY RAISIN TART

Steps:

• Make the filling:
• In a saucepan stir together the brown sugar, the cornstarch, the zest, and the juice and add the cranberries, the raisins and the salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer it, stirring for 5 minutes, or until the berries have just burst. Transfer the filling to a bowl and chill it covered, for 2 hours, or until it is cold. The filling may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled.
• Make the dough:
• In a bowl stir together the flour, the sugar, the baking powder, and the salt, add the butter, and blend the mixture until it resembles meal. In a small bowl whisk together the egg and the water and add the mixture to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork until the mixture forms a dough. Dust the dough with flour and chill it, wrapped in wax paper , for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roll out the dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface and transfer it to a baking sheet. Spoon the filling onto the center of the dough, spreading it into an 8-inch circle, and fold the edges of the dough over it, leaving the center of the filling uncovered. Brush the dough with the egg wash and bake the tart in the middle of the oven, covering the exposed filling loosely with foil after 10 minutes, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Let the tart cool completely on the baking sheet on a rack.

CRANBERRY PECAN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 2 quart rectangular baking dish.
• Spread the cranberries evenly over the bottom of the baking dish, and sprinkle the pecans over the cranberries. Spoon 1 cup of sugar over the cranberries and pecans.
• Place the eggs into the work bowl of an electric mixer, and beat on high speed about 1 minute, until the eggs are foamy. Beat in 1 cup of sugar, the flour, melted butter, and milk, and beat on Low until just mixed. The batter will be thick. Spread the batter evenly over the cranberry-pecan mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cake is lightly brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate, so the cranberry-pecan layer is on top. Let cool 30 minutes before serving.

CRANBERRY RAISIN NUT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a 9 1/2 x 5 1/2 inch loaf pan.
• Into a bowl mix all the ingredients together, in the order given.
• Then put the mixture into the loaf pan after all ingredients are blended.
• Bake for 1 hour.
• Remove from pan and let it cool on a rack.

CRANBERRY PECAN TASSIES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth; gradually beat in flour. Refrigerate, covered, 30 minutes or until firm enough to shape., Preheat oven to 325°. Shape dough into 1-in. balls; place in greased mini-muffin cups. Press evenly onto bottoms and up sides of cups., In a small bowl, beat egg, brown sugar, melted butter and orange zest until blended. Stir in pecans. Spoon 1-1/2 teaspoons filling into each cup; top with cranberries., Bake 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is set. Cool in pans 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.Freeze option: Freeze cookies, layered between waxed paper, in freezer containers. To use, thaw before serving.

PECAN CRANBERRY BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix brown sugar, chopped pecans, dried cranberries, butter, orange zest, orange juice, egg, and brandy together in a bowl.
• Arrange tart shells on a baking sheet and spoon pecan-cranberry filling into each shell about 2/3 full. Add 1 pecan half and 1 fresh cranberry to each tart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tart shells are lightly browned and filling is bubbling, 18 to 20 minutes.