Apple-Orange Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

serves serves 8, active time 15 minutes, total time 45 minutes

• 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch chunks
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Procedures

1. Combine cranberries, apples, white sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until berries start to pop, about 5 minutes. Press berries against side of pan with wooden spoon and continue to cook until berries have broken down and sauce thickens to a jam-like consistency, about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes. Adjust consistency with water as needed. Serve immediately or place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Serve cold or warm.

Pumpkin Butter Tea Cakes with Orange Glaze

These little loaves have a light and springy crumb because there's no butter or oil in the recipe. The pumpkin flavor and warm fall spices are made more decadent with an orange glaze, but feel free to omit it for a light breakfast sweet.

Note: Pumpkin butters typically come spiced and sweetened and thus will vary by brand. I used Williams Sonoma's version, which is well spiced, medium sweet, and light in texture, though it tastes as much of pumpkin as of spices. If you're using a different brand, taste for sweetness and spices and adjust the spices here accordingly.


Special equipment: 3 x 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 mini loaf pan, whisk

Ingredients

serves makes 5 mini cakes, active time 20 minutes, total time 50 minutes

• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Pinch allspice
• 1/2 cup 2% or full fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup pumpkin butter (see note)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
•  
• For Glaze
• 1 2/3 cup confectioners sugar
• 4 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon water

Procedures

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease mini loaf cups with butter.
   
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice;set aside.
   
3. In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, pumpkin butter, and sugar until well combined. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and stir together just until batter is well combined. Fill each prepared cup 2/3 full with batter. Bake until puffed and golden at the edges and a cake tester inserted into the middle of a loaf comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
   
4. For Glaze: If serving cakes with glaze, whisk together confectioners' sugar, orange juice, and water until smooth. Spread the top of each cooled cake with glaze. Let stand 20 minutes or until set before moving.

Oatmeal with Cranberry Orange Hazelnut Compote

Liven up your morning oatmeal with this sweet-tart compote made from fresh cranberries, orange, and hazelnuts.

Notes: To make orange puree, wash and quarter a medium sized seedless orange. Place quarters (with rind) in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped but still with visable chunks. A medium orange should produce about 1 cup puree.
This will make about 12 servings of compote. It is also good spread on toast, stirred into yogurt, or poured over ice cream.
Feel free to use any oatmeal that you like—if plain instant is your choice, that's fine. Personally I prefer old fashioned rolled oats for their hearty texture.

Special equipment: saucepan, food processor

Ingredients

serves serves 1 (with extra compote), active time 10 minutes, total time 30 minutes

• For Compote
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) fresh cranberries
• 1 scant cup orange puree (see note above)
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
•  
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, cooked (see note)
• 1 tablespoon milk

Procedures

1. Make compote: Place water and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Let cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally, then add cranberries. Bring to a boil then lower heat to medium and vigorously simmer until cranberries have popped and mixture is reduced in half, about 20 minutes.
   
2. Add orange puree and hazelnuts and cook 2 minutes more. Take off heat and let cool slightly before adding to oatmeal. Any unused compote can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
   
3. To assemble: Place cooked oatmeal in a bowl and stir in milk. Top with 1/3 cup compote and serve immediately.

Cranberry Orange Biscuits

Special equipment

baking sheets, whisk, pastry brush,

Ingredients

serves makes 12 biscuits, active time 15 minutes, total time 30 minutes

• 1 packed tablespoon orange zest from about 1 orange
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Procedures

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, rub together orange zest and sugar until fragrant; set aside.
   
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Stir in sugar and cranberries.
   
3. Add heavy cream and vanilla extract and stir until combined (I find this to be easiest using my hands.)
   
4. On a lightly floured surface, pat dough down into 3/4-inch thick circle. Use a 1-inch biscuit cutter to cut out circles. Place circles on baking sheets. Brush each biscuit with melted butter. Bake until golden on top and just cooked through, about 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Malabi (Milk Custard with Orange Brandy Sauce)

Special equipment

ramekins, saucepan,

Ingredients

serves serves four

• Malabi
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rose water
•  
• Orange Brandy Sauce
• 1 cup orange marmalade
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon brandy
•  
• Peanuts or pistachios (optional)
• Sweetened coconut flakes (optional)

Procedures

1. For the Malabi: Combine the milk, cream, and sugar in a large pot over medium heat. Once the mixture comes to a boil, remove from the heat. While you’re waiting for your milk not to boil over, dissolve the cornstarch in the water. When the milk comes to a boil, quickly whisk in the cornstarch along with the rose water and immediately remove from the heat.
   
2. Pour the malabi into four individual serving cups or ramekins and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
   
3. For the Sauce: Mix together the marmalade and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer and reduce to a little more than half, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often to prevent the bottom from burning and the mixture from boiling over. If the foam looks like it’s about to flow over, simply remove the saucepan from the heat for a few seconds and give it a quick stir before placing it back over the heat.
   
4. When the mixture has a thick, syruplike consistency, stir in the brandy and cook for another 5 minutes.
   
5. Remove the sauce from the heat and let cool in the refrigerator until ready to use. Just put it back on the stove over low heat and your sauce will melt right back to an ooey-gooey consistency.
   
6. To Serve: Serve the malabi straight from the cups with a generous drizzle of the orange marmalade sauce and throw in a handful of chopped peanuts or pistachios and coconut flakes if you wish.