the original bundt pan...this has to be one of the most beautiful shots of a perfectly geometric cake...

Ever since its debut in the 1950s, the bundt cake pan has become de rigeur in every baker’s equipment stable.  Originally a whimsical alternate to the smooth angel food cake tube pan, the bundt mold with its fetching large-lobed flute design transforms a simple tube cake into a gourmet gateaux by visuals alone.  The original bundt pan has sold about 40 million pans worldwide, all which are slated for a lifetime plus of use since they never rust or warp.  For decades it was the perfect Christmas gift for a baker, and now, with five gorgeous new designs that scream “must-have,” it is once more the perfect gift, even for me.

Like every other man-made invention, the bundt pan was once an idea that has become an icon in a baker’s kitchen due to savvy marketing as much as for its excellent baking capabilities.  The rigid, seamless, stamped aluminum pan with the nonstick lining is the creation and handiwork of Nordic Ware, a division of Northland Aluminum Products, Inc. of Minneapolis, situated in the heartland of American baking.  Founded in 1946 by the Halquist brothers, the company manufactured beloved traditional Scandinavian kitchen tools such as round ebelskivers and plattar pancake pans for making the crepe-like Swedish pancake, and long-handled rosette irons.  With an eye for the future, they became one of the 12 original licensees of DuPont Teflon, the revolutionary nonstick coating for cooking and baking equipment.

Looking like a leftover from old world baking, the Bundt pan is just that–an updated American copy of the old, heavy cast iron and ceramic bund pans (bund is the German word for gathering) so beloved in Northern European wood-and coal-stove baking. The bundt pan was first manufactured when a request to the wife of Nordic Ware’s founder, H. David Halquist, came from the President of the local chapter of the Hadassah Society to reproduce a kugelhof mold sent by her grandmother.  The cast aluminum copy with a nonstick lining, called the Bund Pan, was made in a limited amount for Hadassah Society members and local department stores.

back left: rose bundt/front center: heritage bundt/upper right: stunning Bavarian bundt

In 1960 sales jumped when the Good Housekeeping Cookbook published a recipe for Old Plantation Pound Cake, with photographs of the cake baked in the pan, and with the rise in interest, Nordic Ware registered their pan under the trademark of Bundt®.  To this day, thick battered pound cakes are still one of the best recipes, along with beautiful coffee cakes, quick breads, honey cakes, and babkas, to make in a bundt pan. Don’t use the pan for chiffon or angel food cakes; they will stick mercilessly. Use a regular tube pan for these classic cakes.

the martha stewart Platinum Collection kugelhof bundt pan/9 diameter x 5-1/2 tall/10 cups/amazon.com

In 1966, the top winner of the Pillsbury Bake-Off used a bundt pan and the pan began to have a national audience.  Within 5 years, the pan was named the most popular baking mold in America and Pillsbury decided to design a line of commercial cake mixes to bake in the 12-cup pan. My mom’s first bundt pan was bought just to bake a Pillsbury mix.  The cake mixes were a wild success, selling a remarkable $25 million dollars worth of mixes in the first year alone, probably due to the love of a cake called the Tunnel of Fudge, precursor to the now-hot restaurant dessert of individual chocolate cakes with a oozing, under baked center like a thick sauce.  My latest version of the Pillsbury Best Desserts Cookbook, published in 1998 by Clarkson Potter, has five bundt cake recipes, most from scratch, including a wonderful fresh Cranberry Orange Pound Cake served with a butter rum sauce (recipe follows).

Within the last 4 years, Nordic Ware has developed the new technology to make plastic laser molds from CAD

the star bundt pan/12 cups

digital drawings that are the prototypes for the sand or die casts to make these innovative, intricate pan molds.  First was the Festival Party bundt, with a pillar-like design that looks like an ancient Babylon temple, then the peaky Star, and finally the swirling-ridged Bavaria Bundt and the Fleur de Lis (“the Flower of the Lily”), which looks like a more complicated version of the standard bundt rimmed with a stunning pearl bead pattern, are available.  These creative pans are remarkably beautiful, as well as functional, looking at home proudly displayed as an heirloom in your kitchen hutch.  On a recent QVC show, these new bundt pans sold an astonishing 7,000 units in 8 minutes. In the years following, Nordic Ware has added the very popular rose, chrysanthemum (petals), a star of David, the Elegant Heart (complete with center hole), the Castle, the Stadium, and Heritage Bundts. There are whimsical shapes like the Backyard Bug bundt, Gingerbread House, Beehive Cake, Cornucopia, and many more so you can fill your heart’s desire in baking. The standard Bundt also comes as a half-size 8-inch round with a 6-cup capacity (buy 2 so you can make a large cake recipe and divide in half instead of waiting to bake a second cake in the same pan), which is a great size for a small family or for gift-giving your special cakes.

In the December 1999 issue of Fine Cooking magazine I got my first look at the Star bundt, created in honor of Nordic Ware’s 50th anniversary.  Similar to the standard bundt pan in design, it boasted a finely pointed-detailed design that was more rigidly geometric like a tin kugelhof mold, had a slightly smaller center cone, dark outer finish, and new bonded nonstick finish.  It is slightly lighter in weight than my old bundt pan, which needs to be lifted with two hands when filled with batter it is so heavy.  Dusted with powdered sugar, a cake baked in the Star mold looks like a model of the Alps after a new snow.

my favorite Cathedral Bundt/10 cups

Williams-Sonoma carries all the pans including one of their own design, the Cathedral bundt.  Their in-house buyer found an antique bund pan with a Gothic arch pattern while on a buying trip to Europe.  Chuck Williams sent the pan to Nordic Ware and was returned sample drawings of the concept.  Making its debut during a holiday season during the last decade, the Cathedral pan is so evocative it could be the model for a crown.  When balanced by its tube on a cup and hit with a wooden spoon, it resounds like an old-fashioned church bell.

Martha Stewart has created her own design with Nordic Ware technology, a pattern for an updated uber-elegant tall kuglehof that was hush-hush in the food world until she unveiled it on one of her shows. I had trouble finding it under the Martha Stewart line of baking pans, but then lo and behold, there it was for sale on amazon.com. It is a beautiful pan and if you love to bake, a must-have.

Nordic Ware, still owned by the Halquist family, offers four different lines of bundt pans, each differing slightly in their method of manufacture, thickness of the aluminum, and cost.  The Color Line is made from stamped sheets of metal and sells for $6 to $9 in venues like Walmart.  Mid-way is the Procast Line that includes both a standard and festival shape bundts, bundtlette pans for individual bundts, and 10-inch lobed bundt loaf pan that is great for monkey bread, $15 to $20 in hardware stores and Target. The Heritage is in the Commercial line.

The high-end gourmet line, called the Platinum Collection, includes the “Best” original 12-cup standard bundt, 6-cup baby bundt pans (one standard

mini bundt mold with 3 different designs/Six 3/4 cup cavities 4" x 2" each

bundt cake recipe will bake perfectly in 2 pans with 6 molds, cutting the bake time by 20 to 25 minutes), and all of the new designs, are of the thickest weight die-cast aluminum, offered by King Arthur and Chef’s Catalogs, Williams-Sonoma, and Sur La Table gourmet shops and running about $28 to $38 per pan.  All pans are manufactured in the USA and carry a lifetime guarantee for full replacement (how rare is THAT?).  Shop on-line at www.nordicware.com and amazon.com has an amazing selection.

Tips for Baking in Bundt Pans

Here are a few tips from Reed Winter, the R&D manager of Nordic Ware, for the best results in working with bundt pans.

festival bundt/a favorite shape/10 cup

• The original, or standard, 10-inch diameter bundt pan has a 12-cup capacity.  The Star bundt is also a 12-cup capacity.  Up to now all bundt cake recipes have been designed for this size, so you need to pay attention or else you will overfill the pan or have leftover batter.  The Cathedral, Fleur de Lis, Festival, Heritage, Kuglehof, and Bavaria pan designs are slightly smaller: 9-inch in diameter with a 10-cup capacity.  Recipes without a lot of chunky fruits and nuts will probably work perfectly in the 10-cup pans, but be prepared to experiment until more recipes appear specifically designed for them.  Fill the pan no more than 1 to 2 inches from the top with batter, that is about 3/4 full.

• The intricate designed pans work best with thick, smooth batters, such as pound cake and enhanced commercial cake mix batters, in order to get the fine detailing.  Slightly undermix your batter, leaving it thick and fluffy.  You will use 1 1/2 (18 1/2 ounce) packages cake mix, such as Duncan Hines.

the beautiful star bundt cake

• Grease with a nonstick baking spray, such as Pam or Baker’s Joy.  Heavily coat all surfaces, taking care to get in all the nooks and crannies.  Turn the pan upside down for 5 minutes (I do this while I am mixing the batter).  This way the grease coating will even out and avoid the batter bubbling in the details.

• After pouring the batter into the pan, use a small metal spatula to gently push some of the batter slightly up the outer wall.  Do this with a stroke from the center cone out, all the way around, making the outer edge about 1/4 inch higher than around the center cone.  In the oven heat, the outer ridge will rise and roll over, naturally filling in the intricate details as the batter expands.

• Bundt cakes are best baked at a lower temperature for a slightly longer time.  Most bundt cake recipes specify 350ºF, which is too high, especially for the dark finish pans; the cake domes quickly, but stays raw in the center with a crusty shell.  Reduce the oven temperature to 300º to 325ºF (Winter uses 335ºF) and add on 15 to 20 minutes to the baking time.  Use an oven thermometer for accuracy.

• After baking, remove the pan from the oven and let the cake stand in the pan for about 10 minutes to allow the cake to firm up slightly and contract from the sides of the pan.  Remove from the pan by placing a wire cooling rack on top, then invert the cake onto the rack and lift off the pan.  Cool to warm and glaze, frost, or dust with powdered sugar.  Store 2 days at room temperature under a cake dome or in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap.  A bundt cake yields 12 to 20 slices.

Cranberry Orange Pound Cake

Its is just about fresh cranberry season. A classic American duo, cranberry and orange taste especially good at holiday time. The cake and rum butter sauce, old fashioned and charming, can be made up to 5 days ahead–tightly cover each and store in refrigerator. Let cake come to room temperature, and reheat sauce briefly before serving. This is a great cake for a Halloween party, Thanksgiving dessert, or for giving during the holidays.

Ingredients

• Cake

• 2 3/4 cups granulated cane sugar

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel and/or 1 teaspoon orange oil (I use both)

• 6 large eggs

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 container (8 oz) sour cream (1 cup)

• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)

• Butter Rum Sauce

• 1 cup granulated cane sugar

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup half-and-half

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

• 4 teaspoons light rum, or 1/4 teaspoon rum extract

individual bundt cakes/alernative to a muffin/1/2 cup of batter/great for parties

the elegant Fleur de Lis Bundt/10 cups

the adorable celebration tiered cakelet pan/1 cup batter/for individual cakes with no fuss

Recipe and text copyright Beth Hensperger 2011

Please enjoy the recipe and make it your own. If you copy the recipe and text for internet use, please include my byline and link to my site.

photo courtesy of Sweet Kat's Kitchen

It’s technically the end of the cranberry season. But I notice big piles of cranberries in the produce section, begging to be taken home and frozen for use throughout the year. Hopefully you stashed a few bags in the freezer to hold you over until next fall holiday season. Frozen cranberries are excellent for making muffins, quick breads, even in stews or as one of your favorite cranberry sauces at Easter, if you haven’t noticed.

I have a friend named Kat who is a small commercial baker by trade, and while looking for her new site of Sugar Kat, I ended up at a site called Sweet Kat’s Kitchen. I was pulled in by a wonderful muffin photo on Sweet Kat’s and enjoyed reading her blog. She made these wonderful fresh cranberry orange muffins, a yummy muffin with a fruit and citrus combo I adore, and mentioned the recipe was from a William-Sonoma cookbook. La de dah…lo and behold, it all sounded vaguely familiar. I was once more attracted to one of my own recipes, and just in time for the fresh cranberry season.

This is a very classically proportioned muffin: 1 cup of sugar to 2 cups of flour with 1 cup of liquid and 1 egg. You can’t go wrong. Perfect domed tops and a nice firm cakey texture. These are perfectly scrumptuous. This is the one cranberry muffin you will ever need. And they freeze well in a plastic freezer bag after cooling as well. Its always a safe bet to have bags of yummy muffins on hand. Good warm and buttered for breakfast; good for lunch with soup, or as a snack with milk or cup of tea. Thank you Sweet Kat’s Kitchen.

website logo with that 1950s feel

Makes 10 to 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour or white whole wheat flour

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• Grated zest of 1 orange

• 1 large egg

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, or walnut oil

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice

• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375º.  Prepare the pans by greasing 10 cups of a standard 2 3/4-inch muffin tin with butter or butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, and zest.

In another bowl, combine the egg, butter or oil, milk, and orange juice with a large whisk.  Add to the dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened.  Using a large rubber spatula, add the cranberries and nuts to the batter, and fold in just until they are evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes.

fill the batter no more than 3/4ths full into the cups

Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, filling each cup 3/4ths full.  Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and the tops are dry and springy to the touch.  A cake tester will come out clean when inserted into the center.  Remove from the oven and serve warm with butter.  Freeze in plastic freezer bags up to 2 months. From the Williams-Sonoma Baking Book, Edited by Chuck Williams (Oxmoor House, 2009) and available only through Williams-Sonoma stores.

the traditional thanksgiving plate/bless the abundance

Overview

Recommended Size: Large oval for turkey, medium round or oval for cranberry sauce

Machine Setting and Cook Time: High Heat: 4 1/2 to 6 hours for turkey; High Heat: 1 hour, then 2 to 3 hours for cranberry sauce

Serves 8 (or lots less for a few days of leftovers)

Ingredients

• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth

• 2 cups filtered water

• 2 ribs celery, cut into large pieces

• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• 1 teaspoon favorite dried mixed herb seasoning, such as a salt-free blend like Mrs. Dash or McCormick Italian Herbs

• One 5- to 6-pound bone-in whole turkey breast, rinsed and patted dry

• 1/4 cup instant flour, such as Wondra

• 1/4 cup cold filtered water

• 2 to 3 tablespoons Madeira, to your taste

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

a large oval slow cooker works best for turkey

The Happy Cook’s Cranberry Orange Sauce

1 (12-ounce) bag fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and picked over

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup water

Grated zest of 1 navel orange

1/4 to 1/2 cup combination of chopped dried apricots, candied ginger, and crasins (dried cranberries)

Instructions

this is what a whole bone-in turkey breast looks like

1. Combine the broth and water; bring to a boil stove top or in the microwave. Add the celery, onion, butter, and seasoning in the crock Add the turkey, breast side down and pour in the hot liquid.

2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 1/2 to 6 hours. Turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 170ºto 180ºF on an instant read thermometer.

3. Meanwhile in a separate medium slow cooker, prepare the cranberry orange sauce. Combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and water in the crock.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Crack the lid and prop open with the handle of a wooden spoon, then adjust to LOW for an additional 2 to 3 hours. When cooked, the cranberries will have popped open; stir in the zest into the hot sauce. The last hour, stir in the dried fruit. Remove the lid. Cool in the crock to room temperature. Serve or refrigerate. Scrape with a rubber spatula into a spring top glass jar.  Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.  Serve chilled or room temperature.

4. When the turkey is cooked, transfer to a platter; tent with aluminum foil, and let stand for 10 minutes before carving.

5. Meanwhile, to prepare gravy, strain the reserved liquid left in the cooker through a

no-lumps turkey pan gravy/everyone loves gravy/photo courtesy of the Food Network kitchen

cheesecloth-lined colander; press to squeeze the juice from the vegetables and discard.  Skim off the fat with a spoon.  Pour the broth into a large nonstick skillet and bring to a boil.  In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cold water, and Madeira until the flour dissolves.  Pour the slurry into the hot broth, stirring constantly with a whisk until the gravy bubbles and thickens.  Taste for salt and pepper.  Serve the hot turkey and serve with plenty of gravy and cranberry sauce.

Excerpted from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Family Favorites, by Beth Hensperger. (c) 2009, used by permission from the Harvard Common Press.

Overview

Cooker: Large Oval

Machine Setting and Cook Time: Low Heat: 6 to 7 hours

Serves 2 to 4 (depending if you want a whole or half hen)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped onion

• 1/2 cup chopped celery (include some leaves)

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 (6-ounce) package pre-cut cornbread stuffing mix (NOT cornbread mix but cornbread STUFFING mix)

• 1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and chopped

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves

• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth, or just to moisten

• 1 to 2 tablespoons light olive oil

• 2 Cornish game hens, rinsed in cold water, patted dry

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 1/2 cup peach preserves

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)

• Pinch of cayenne

Instructions

1. Place the onion and celery in a skillet with the butter and sauté until soft, 3 minutes. Place the dry stuffing mix in a bowl and add the apple, onion mixture, cilantro, cranberries, sage, and enough broth just to moisten; mix with a large spoon or your hands. Spray the crock with non-stick vegetable cooking spray and add half of the stuffing into the bottom.

kitchen shears are the best tool for splitting hens in half

2.   To split each game hen, place the bird, breast side up, on a cutting surface.  Holding the bird with one hand and using kitchen shears with the other, cut the breast in half, starting from the neck end.  Turn the bird over and cut down both sides of the back bone, as close as possible, leaving two halves; discard the backbone or use for soup stock.  Season the hen halves with salt and pepper.

3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat (you can use the same skillet you cooked the onions in) with a tablespoon of oil, sear the game hens on the skin side, about 2 minutes. Arrange the hens overlapping, bone side down, side by side, on top of the stuffing, then pack the remaining stuffing all around one side. Place the sweet potatoes around the other side.

ready to sear and load the slow cooker

4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, until hens and potatoes are tender and juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife.  The internal temperature will be 185º.

5. To make the sauce, place the broth in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the preserves, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, and cayenne; lower heat and simmer 5 minutes. Serve a half hen with stuffing and sweet potatoes, spooning over some sauce.

plated half hen with breast, wing, and leg

Excerpted from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Family Favorites, by Beth Hensperger. (c) 2009, used by permission from the Harvard Common Press.

Persimmons are beginning to show their bright orange selves and the local trees look like the holidays once their leaves fall, leaving the orbs as a decorative gesture. Next to them I spy the first bags of fresh cranberries. There are persimmon cookies, persimmon cakes, persimmon in salads,  but no holiday can go by without persimmon or cranberry pudding, which are not like a creamy stovetop spoon pudding but a solid mass that is more akin to a cake, but it is steamed instead of baked. While persimmon pudding is one of the most familiar, there are many steamed puddings, all just as delicious. Spotted Dick, Plum Pudding, Steamed Chocolate Pudding, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and English Golden Treacle Pudding, are all constructed and cooked in the same manner. You can become a gourmet of steamed puddings, mastering many different flavor combinations, but one thing they have in common–they all seem to be a winter dessert that makes its appearance during the holidays.

Popular since medieval times in Britain and later the New England colonies, a “pud” is a must for ending winter holiday meals.  Once heavy with meat suet as the major fat, modern versions are more like a steamed sponge or sweet quick bread and use butter or oil, making them light and flavorful from fall fruits.  They are steamed in the medium or large on/off style rice cookers with amazing efficiency and ease.  I consider the large rice cooker the appliance of choice when steaming puddings.

classic metal pudding mold

The mold is of paramount importance here.  I collect beautiful covered fluted metal pudding molds, easily available from Williams-Sonoma, La Cuisine, or Sur La Table in 3-cup and 6-cup capacities.  While recipes can call for a fluted tube pan or one-pound coffee cans, these are not suitable for steaming in the rice cooker because they are too tall.  For the best fit, I recommend the 1.5 quart (6 cup) round melon shape, Corinthian column, or a 6 1/2 inch metal kugelhof mold (you will need to cover with foil and a rubber band in lieu of the lid) for the large (10-cup) capacity rice cooker and the 3-cup fluted with wreath top and center tube for the medium (6-cup) capacity rice cooker.

While so many other of the metal molds are beautiful, they may be too tall for the rice cooker cover to sit properly and enclose the steam.  There are some smaller 2 cup molds (the Corninthian column is adorable) or English china pudding basins that will fit in the small or medium rice cooker, but the following recipes are designed for a 1.5 quart (6 cup) capacity mold.  If you use a 3-cup mold, just cut the recipe in half.

The technique for steaming is simple.  The mold is buttered and never filled with batter past two-thirds to allow for expansion.  Snap on the lid or cover and lower it into the water.  It is set on a rack or trivet in simmering water that should come halfway up the sides of the mold.  In the large cooker, that was at the 5 cup line on the side of the bowl.  It is important to check periodically in case the water has boiled off and needs to be replenished, but I found the rice cooker to be very efficient here; about 1 1/2 inches of water boiled off every 25 to 30 minutes.

Warm steamed puddings should have a complementary sauce, ice cream, or liqueur-flavored whipped cream to proclaim them ready to eat.

How To Make Individual Steamed Puddings

Spoon the batter into well-buttered ceramic ramekins, china pudding basins, Pyrex custard cups, or even ovenproof coffee cups, filling 2/3 full.  Securely cover each with a piece of buttered foil and crimp the edges to seal.  Set the steaming rack in place or place a wire rack in the bottom of the cooker and arrange the molds on the rack (they can be touching); you will probably have to steam in two batches.  Pour in 1 to 2 inches of hot water, reaching only halfway up the molds.  Turn on the cooker and bring the water to a boil.  Steam until set, 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the size of the cups.  Remove from the cooker with metal tongs and place on a wire rack.  Remove the foil cover, run a knife around the sides to release the pud, and turn out onto the rack.  Serve warm or room temperature with a sauce of choice.  The small puddings are great to douse in a teaspoon of brandy and ignite at serving time.

Mason Cash traditional pudding basins, the bowls chosen by the Royal Household to package Plum Puddings traditionally given as holiday gifts to the royal staff

Steamed Persimmon Pudding with Brandy Sauce

English Pudding with Cranberries and Walnuts with English Custard Sauce

Machine:  Large (10-cup) rice cooker

Yield:  Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup hot water

• 1/2 cup light molasses

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use White Lily bleached all-purpose flour, unsifted right out of the bag)

• 2 cups whole fresh or frozen and thawed cranberries

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

Set up the rice cooker for steaming by placing a small trivet or wire cooling rack in the bottom of the bowl.  Fill the bowl 1/4 to 1/3 full of hot water, cover the bowl, plug in, and set the switch to the Cook position.  If the water boils before you are ready to steam the pudding, flip the switch to the Keep Warm position.  Generously grease or spray a 1.5 quart (6 cup) round melon-shaped tin pudding mold with clip-on lid with a butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the ingredients in the order given with a large rubber spatula.  Stir well with a folding motion until evenly moistened.

Scrape into the prepared mold, filling two-thirds full.  Set the mold on the trivet or wire rack in the bottom of the cooker, making sure it is centered and not tipped.  Cover and flip the switch back to the Cook position to bring back to a rolling boil, if necessary.  Set a timer and steam for 60 minutes, checking a few times to be sure to not to let the water boil off.

Check the pudding, it should feel slightly firm to the touch, yet slightly moist.  It will be puffed, rising to fill the mold, and a cake tester will come out clean.  Unplug machine to turn off.  Carefully remove from the steamer with oven mits to a wire rack and remove the cover.  Let stand a few minutes, then turn upside down to unmold onto the rack or serving plate.

Serve still warm, cut in wedges, or at room temperature, with custard sauce.

English Custard Sauce

Makes 2 cups

• 2 cups whole milk

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

• 5 large egg yolks

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a saucepan or a microwave, scald the milk.  In a mixing bowl or food processor, combine the sugar and cornstarch.  Whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla.  Beat hard with a whisk or process briefly until light colored and foamy.  Whisking constantly, or with the food processor running, add the hot milk gradually into the egg mixture.  Pour back into the saucepan and place over medium heat.

Cook the sauce gently over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until just slightly thickened, smooth, and the sauce coats a spoon; do not boil, about 5 full minutes.  Pour into a storage bowl and cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate, covered, until serving time.  Serve cold, pouring around the wedge of pud.

Excerpted from The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook, by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann. (c) 2002, used by permission from the Harvard Common Press.

Cranberries are harvested during a short season from September after Labor Day through December, with the bulk of the jewel-like crop marketed in November. Due to overwhelming consumer demand, crops generally consist of several varieties planted to stagger the harvest and prolong the season.

Fresh cranberries are available in the produce section of most supermarkets from late October right into January, often sold in their familiar 12-ounce plastic bags, which yield about 3 cups whole berries. Exceptionally high in vitamin C, the raw fruit also contains benzoic acid, a natural preservative, so they hold up to prolonged refrigeration, staying fresh for about 8 weeks after harvest. One should look for plump, shiny, and firm berries, not mushy, shriveled, or green, under-ripe ones. Fortunately we find most bags of cranberries in perfect shape, since the sorting and packing process is so efficient.

Many supermarkets now toss all their end-of-season bags of cranberries directly into the freezer, making them readily available to savvy consumers throughout the coming months. Cranberries can be frozen in bags up to a year and used unthawed in recipes calling for fresh, any time of year. Don’t wash the berries until you are ready to use them. Unthawed frozen cranberries are easily chopped in a food processor, just like the fresh. In recipes, just use the frozen (unthawed) whole cranberries directly from their cello bag. Pick over the berries to cull out any stems or soft ones. Since frozen cranberries tend to lose a bit of their crisp texture, they are better suited to dishes that are cooked or baked, rather than served raw.

Canned cranberry sauce, either jellied or whole berry, is available all year round. Beyond serving alone as a condiment, it makes an excellent addition to countless sweet and savory recipes, even baking.  I use canned cranberry sauces in many recipes with fabulous success.

raw cranberries

Peggy’s Cranberry Chutney

Cranberry Ginger Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 large shallot
• Zest of 1/2 large orange, cut off the fruit in strips with a small knife

• 1/3 cup (2 ounces) slivered almonds

• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over

• 1 large tart apple, finely chopped (you can peel or leave the skin on)

• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

• 1/4 cup currants

• 3/4 teaspoon coarsely grated fresh gingeroot

• 1/4 teaspoon ground curry powder

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1.  Coarsely chop the shallot and orange zest in a food processor.  Place the almonds on a baking sheet and lightly toast in a preheated 325º oven for 4 to 5 minutes.  Set the almonds aside.

2.  Combine all the ingredients, except the almonds, in the baking pan.

3.  Program the Jam setting and press start.  The chutney is finished at the beep.  Carefully remove the pan with heavy oven mitts and stir in the almonds.  Scrape with a rubber spatula into a springtop glass jar; let stand until cool.  Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.  Serve at room temperature with Savory Appetizer Cheesecake or as a condiment side dish. Makes about 2 cups.

Stovetop Instructions

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Place almonds on a baking sheet and cook, stirring once or twice, until fragrant and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Chop coarsely and set aside to cool.

In a large saucepan, combine cranberries, apples, brown sugar, currants, vinegar, orange zest, shallot, ginger, curry, cloves, and allspice. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool, then stir in the almonds. Refrigerate, covered, up to 1 month. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Savory Appetizer Cheesecake

Makes one 6-inch cheesecake

This cheesecake can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated until serving.  Place on a small pedestal plate and decorate with fresh leaves.  Serve at room temperature with plain crostini and cranberry chutney.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs

• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

• 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

• 4 ounces blue cheese, such as gorgonzola

• 2 tablespoons sour cream

• 2 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons brandy

• 1 1/4 tablespoons minced fresh chives

• Salt and white pepper, to taste

Instructions

1.  Combine the breadcrumbs and the walnuts.  Heavily butter a 6-inch round springform pan.  Coat the pan bottom and sides with the nut crumbs, packing the extra onto the bottom.  Wrap the bottom and a few inches up the sides with aluminum foil to prevent leakage.  Preheat the oven to 325º.

2.  In the workbowl of a food processor, combine the cheeses, sour cream, eggs, and brandy and process until smooth.  Add the chives and season to taste.  Process to combine.  Pour into the prepared pan.

3.  Place the springform in a small roasting pan and pour in warm water at least 2 inches up the sides of the pan.  Place in the center of the oven and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.   Turn off the oven heat and let cheesecake set in the hot oven for 1 hour with the door ajar.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.  Refrigerate overnight.  Run a small knife around the edge before removing the springform sides.

Excerpted from The Bread Lovers Bread Machine Cookbook, by Beth Hensperger. (c) 2000, used by permission from the Harvard Common Press.

Instructions

• Large chunk of fresh ginger, about 5 inches long

• 3 cups (12-ounces) fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup water

• Grated zest of 1 large orange

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) walnuts, chopped

Instructions

1.  Peel and coarsely grate the ginger.  Leave 2/3 of the cranberries whole and chop the rest.

2.  Combine all the ingredients, except the ginger and walnuts, in the baking pan.  Take the grated ginger in your fist and squeeze out as much of the juice as you can into the pan with the rest of the ingredients.  Discard the pulp.

3.  Program the Jam setting and press start.  The sauce is finished at the beep.  The cranberries will have popped open.  Carefully remove the pan with heavy oven mitts and stir in the walnuts.  Scrape with a rubber spatula into a springtop glass jar; let stand until cool.  Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.  Serve chilled. Makes about 2 1/4 cups

Stovetop Instructions

Peel and coarsely grate the ginger. Discard the pulp. Leave 2/3 of the cranberries whole and chop the rest.

In a large saucepan, combine sugar and water; bring to a boil. Take the grated ginger in your fist and squeeze out as much of the juice as you can into the pan with the rest of the ingredients.  Add to the pan with the cranberries, zest, and cloves. Return to a boil, then lower the heat and cook until the berries begin to pop open, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the walnuts. Scrape with a rubber spatula into a springtop glass jar; let stand until cool.  Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.  Serve chilled. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Excerpted from The Bread Lovers Bread Machine Cookbook, by Beth Hensperger. (c) 2000, used by permission from the Harvard Common Press.