PRIME SEASON
Cold weather comfort foods
Baking cranberry-orange bread with kids on a snowy day
Hooboy, it’s cold outside – it’s also wet, blustery, slushy, and slippery. And you desperately need a cup of coffee, tea, or Eliz abeth cocoa to warm you up. And Morse Read nothing would be better than to have a little something to go with that cup – something that reminds you of winters past and of snuggling up on the couch with someone you love (including your dog). You don’t have to be a master baker to recreate those “little somethings” that will bring a smile to your lips and a warm feeling inside. Here are a few classic winter comfort sweets to have on hand – and to share!
Baked apples with crumble filling What could possibly smell better on a cold day than warm apples and cinnamon? This easy-to-make winter dessert will be a favorite with young and old alike! Choose baking apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, or Golden Delicious that are symmetrical and well-balanced – you don’t want it tipping over when it’s in the oven! Preheat the oven to 350 and core your apples by digging a deep well from the top (use a grapefruit spoon, if you have one), to remove the seeds, going down to just above the bottom without breaking through.
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S ou th C oast P r ime T imes
J a nuary /F ebruary 2022
It’s an icy-cold, wet, and windy day and the kids are stuck indoors. What better way to pass the time than giving them a kitchen chemistry lesson that they can eat when it’s done? You fondly remember watching your own mother or grandmother baking, so here’s your chance to pass on that skill. Show them how to whisk together dry ingredients, how to make a “well” to incorporate wet ingredients, how to crack an egg, and how to test for “doneness” with a toothpick or knife. Assign age-appropriate tasks, and let them all take a turn at using the spatula or whisk. Line up all ingredients and kitchen tools. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Grate the “zest” from a medium-size orange (watch your knuckles!) and gather up the zest in a small bowl, then cut the orange in half and squeeze out ¾ cup of juice into a juicer jar. In another small bowl, soak 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries (craisins) in the orange juice until they’re plumped up. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups of allpurpose flour, ¾ cup sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon salt. In another large mixing bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup vegetable oil and one egg, then blend in the soaked cranberries, orange juice and orange zest. Pour this into the dry ingredients and blend with a spatula until just combined (don’t overbeat!), then pour into the greased loaf pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean – avoid overbaking. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan, then another 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with hot cocoa!
