Cranberry Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookies

I always want to incorporate fresh cranberries into my holiday baking somehow. I usually find a bar cookie that contains fresh cranberries and this year I was hoping to find something a little bit different. I saw a link for these Cranberry Cinnamon Pinwheels on Pinterest and I knew that they would be made for the holidays.

First you make a fresh cranberry filling that contains a little sugar and some cinnamon. You have to set that aside and let it cool completely. The filling is spread over a basic cookie dough, flavored with cinnamon and then the dough+filling are rolled up cinnamon roll style. The dough has to be frozen and for good reason. I wouldn't want to try slicing these when the filling is gooey. The freezer time makes these cookies easy to slice and bake.

I haven't been eating sweets for a couple of months, but I tried one of these and thought they were really good. I was surprised that my kids really liked them too. They aren't very sweet, but they have just enough sweetness to be a great cookie. The cranberry filling is tart and delicious and the cinnamon in the dough and filling really brings it all together. Plus, they look festive and are fun to share!

Here is the link for Cranberry Cinnamon Pinwheels

Cranberry Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits & Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Black Beans

Once again horrible, quick photos. You will have to overlook them please, because these two things are very tasty.

First up, Cranberry Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits. My son chose dinner the other night and he wanted fried eggs, sauteed swiss chard & spinach, and biscuits. I know for a fact that these were not the kind of biscuits he wanted, but I was ready to try them, so I made half of them without the cranberries. This recipe uses whole wheat pastry flour and it makes a very tender, delicious biscuit. My daughters and I thought the ones with cranberries were very good and my son enjoyed those that were cranberry free.

Second, this Sweet Potato & Black Bean Salad. I'm happy to say that I have completely overcome my dislike of sweet potatoes. The key for me is to combine them with savory and/or spicy ingredients. I made this salad for a Christmas party and it was really delicious. Pretty simple too. I didn't follow the directions exactly because I wanted to add the lime juice and olive oil bit by bit, so I could adjust the taste and I also wanted the little bites of jalapeno to be in there, not pureed. I loved this salad. Many people requested the recipe. It is a fun, healthy alternative/salad that can be shared at this time of year.


Here is the recipe for Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Black Beans
* I didn't puree the dressing, I just added the jalapenos, lime juice and other ingredients
the the roasted veggies & beans
* I used less olive oil than called for, both when roasted the sweet potatoes and when dressing the salad


Here is the recipe for Cranberry Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
* I used low-fat buttermilk
* I only added frozen cranberries to half of my biscuits

Fresh Cranberry Salsa with Cilantro, Lime and Jalapeno

I wasn't planning on posting about any of the things I made for Thanksgiving, but everytime I eat some of this Cranberry Salsa that was leftover, I think about how good it is and how I should really share it. The picture is from a few days after I made it, so you can't see the intense green of the cilantro and jalapeno, but the flavor is still there. This salsa was so delicious on turkey and I have been eating it on almost anything since then. It is good with pita chips, on crackers with cheese, with fresh cut-up veggies, on salad greens, sandwiches, etc. It is so good. It has a nice spicy bite, thanks to the jalapenos, but it isn't too strong. Just the way I like it. Plus, right now there are still lots of fresh cranberries available and this would be a great dish to share at any holiday dinner, get-together, or for an ordinary day.

Here is the recipe for Fresh Cranberry Salsa with Cilantro, Lime and Jalapeno
* I used about 2 Tbls less sugar than the recipe called for, but used white granulated sugar and not a sugar substitute

Pomegranate-Cranberry Granita

A couple of months ago I was contacted by Ryan from POMwonderful and he asked if I was interested in trying some of the new POM Cranberry juice. I was excited about the new flavor and what I might be able to create with it, so I jumped at the chance to receive some of it in the mail.

I had all sorts of ideas and recipes that I wanted to try with this new, delicious POM juice, but it was so popular with my family as a drink that I literally had to hide the last little bottle so that I would be able to make something with it. Since the weather has been quite warm here in Georgia for quite a while, I decided to make something cool and crunchy- POM Granita.

It's really quite simple, really. You make a simple syrup, stir that into the POM juice, add a little lime juice, and then freeze the mixture in a shallow pan, scraping it every 30 minutes or so.
The result is quite delicious. Perfectly cool and refreshing. My friend and I finished the last of it off while we were outside watching our kids run through the sprinklers and play with water guns. Perfect, just perfect.

Here is the recipe for POM Granita from POM Wonderful

Meyer Lemon Cornmeal Cake & Meyer Lemon Cranberry Muffins

Okay, here are the other 2 recipes that I used my Meyer Lemons in. I saw that The Food Librarian made this Lemon Cornmeal Cake with Meyer Lemons and I decided to follow her lead.
It was a stir and mix kind of cake with a nice powdered sugar glaze. I didn't make the blueberry sauce because I was trying to keep this sweet and simple. It sure was delicious. I made 1/2 the recipe in a 6-inch pan.
My daughters really loved this one. I really enjoy the texture that a little bit of cornmeal adds to a recipe.
This was simply delightful and one that I want to make again for sure. I don't think I got the glaze thick enough and it pooled in the middle, but that middle section was really citrus-y and delicious. Extra glaze added a bunch of flavor!

I used the last of my Meyer Lemons to make these Meyer Lemon Cranberry Muffins. I can't remember where I saw this recipe but I always have a stash of frozen cranberries in my freezer, so I figured this was the perfect time to pull them out.
This recipe was originally baked in a loaf pan, but I rarely have the patience for a loaf of quick bread. Muffins are easier and quicker.

The most interesting thing about this recipe is that the wet ingredients are mostly Meyer lemon juice. There is an egg and a little bit of oil, but for the most part, lemon juice does the job. As you can imagine, that gives this muffins a really bright, lemon-y flavor. Very lemon-y and citrus-y and just tart enough with that lovely edge of sweet that the Meyer lemon has.

The cranberries sunk the bottom of the muffin tin, so when I turned them out of the pan, I left them upside down. I added some of the leftover glaze from the cornmeal cake above, but for some reason I think these were better without the glaze.

That my friends, is the end of my Meyer Lemon extravanganza for this year. I hope I find them again next year and I can experiment even more.

Here is the recipe for Lemon Cornmeal Cake with Lemon Glaze that I adapted via epicurious
* I used Meyer Lemons
* I made 1/2 the recipe in a 6-inch pan

Here is the recipe for Lemon Cranberry Coconut Bread adapted to make muffins from Baking Bites
* I omitted the coconut
* I made muffins, baked them at 400 degrees for 15 minutes

Lemon-Cranberry Muffins

Who out there still has bags of frozen cranberries in their freezer? Anybody?
I am pretty sure there are a few of you who stocked up on fresh cranberries when they were at a great price and stuck them in the freezer, just like I did. Cranberries stay good in the freezer for quite awhile and they are easy to use frozen, plus they thaw quickly. They are really quite perfect for these reasons.

I saw these muffins in Eating Well magazine and wanted to try them. I liked that the recipe called for a combination of white wheat flour and cornmeal. The cornmeal gave these muffins a nice texture and it went really well with the cranberries.

I love using cranberries in muffins and other baked goods, because the tartness evens out the sweetness that you might have. These muffins were perfectly delicious. Nice and tart, lemon-y and with bursts of cranberries all throughout them. I decided to use pink sanding sugar on top.
My kids really liked these too.

I wanted to freeze a couple and see how they did, warmed from the freezer, but they didn't last long enough for that to happen.

Recipe for Lemon-Cranberry Muffins
*I used low-fat buttermilk instead of plain yogurt

Green Cranberry Smoothie

I don't know about everyone else, but I don't really want to look at sugar for awhile. I have been posting so many sweet recipes lately, but the holidays are over- so that means no more sugar or baked goods for a couple of weeks.

I am not a person that drinks a green smoothie everyday. We eat enough dark greens here- kale, spinach, swiss chard, turnip greens- almost daily, that I don't feel the need to sneak them into a morning drink. It is a nice healthy way to start the day every so often, though.

I was curious about using fresh cranberries in a smoothie, so one morning, I whipped this up.
It was pretty good. The pear added some interesting texture, which didn't bother me, but I could imagine it might bother someone else. You could sub in berries or some other fruit. I have to say I love the color of this smoothie, as well as the taste.



Green Cranberry Smoothie by Mary Ann
1 banana, peeled and sliced
1 pear, chopped (you could use berries or citrus or apple here instead)
1/3 cup fresh cranberries
2 Tbls flaxseed meal
1 1/2 cups skim, almond or soy milk
1 cup spinach leaves, packed
1-2 tsp honey

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Enjoy immediately

Cranberry- Avocado Salsa

Here is a fun way to use cranberries, in a delicious salsa.
I love cranberries and finding savory ways to enjoy them is really great.
I took this salsa to a Christmas get-together and it was gone by the end of the night.
There is a little bit of honey and lime juice, which evens out the tartness of the fresh cranberries.
If you need a fun appetizer for a party or just want to try something a little different, give this a try!
Recipe for Cranberry-Avocado Salsa

TWD- Not-Just-for-Thanksgiving Shortbread Cake

Jessica, who blogs over at A Singleton in the Kitchen, chose this week's TWD pick- Not-Just-For-Thanksgiving Shortbread Cake. She made a few different variations, so go check it out and get the recipe on her blog.

I first made this cake about 2 years ago because I love cranberries and just couldn't wait for someone to pick it for TWD. I made it around Christmas and shared it with some friends.
I love the tartness of cranberries and also shortbread, so this was a great combination.

You can read more details and get the recipe HERE from when I made it before.

This is a great cake and a wonderful way to showcase cranberries. Go check out who else made this cake by visiting Tuesday's with Dorie!

TWD-Mini Cranberry Upside Downers, a week late

Last week's TWD pick, Cranberry Upside-Downer, was chosen by Sabrina over at Superfluous. She has the recipe posted HERE.
You can also find the recipe on my blog when I posted about them almost 2 years ago.

I love cranberries so I had to make this one before it was chosen for TWD. It is an absolutely gorgeous cake with the perfect amount of tart and sweet. I made mini's when I posted about this cake originally, but I have made it since full-sized too.

You can check out what everyone else thought about this beautiful cake and see all the yummy variations by checking out the TWD blog!

A Variety of Mini Scones

On Mother's Day, we had a brunch and program for all the women at church. When we were discussing the menu, we decided to keep it simple. I suggested scones and volunteered to make a few varieties.
I apologize for the bad photos, but they were taken in a rush, on my way out the door to church.

I made a few recipes that I have made before- like these rhubarb and cranberry ones (Yes, I had one last bag of cranberries in the freezer that I used). And I tried a couple new recipes, like the Cherry Chocolate Scones and the Ginger Scones- both were very popular.

I also made a gluten-free scone, but used a gluten free mix and just had to add butter, buttermilk, dried blueberries and lime zest.
I used the Pioneer Womans' directions found in this post, to cut all my scones into minis, making them all much more figure friendly. Each recipe yielded about 30 or so mini-scones.
I also shaped and froze most of the scones ahead of time and just baked them straight from the freezer (just add a few minutes to the baking time)- a tip that Bridget shared on one of her posts about scones.

Recipe for Cherry Chocolate Scones
* I used milk chocolate chips
* I made a glaze with half&half and powdered sugar for these scones

Recipe for Ginger Scones
* I used milk, powdered sugar and ground ginger for the glaze

Recipe for Rhubarb Scones
* I used fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar for the glaze

Recipe for the Cranberry Scones
* this time I left out the egg yolk and used 3/4 cup buttermilk instead of heavy cream
the scones were much easier to shape because the dough wasn't as wet
* I used fresh orange juice, zest and powdered sugar for the glaze

Steel-Cut Oats with Fresh Cranberry-Maple Topping

One of my main goals, when I started the 10 in 10 challenge was to eat healthier breakfasts and lunches. We always eat healthy dinners, but sometimes I don't prep enough or plan ahead to make sure that I get in a healthy breakfast and lunch.

I loathe almost all breakfast cereals. Cold cereal just isn't my thing.
Although, I must say, that I really love Shredded Wheat'n Bran. It is even more delicious with fresh berries thrown in.

I decided that for me, healthy breakfasts were going to have to include some combination of oats or another whole grain, fruit, peanut butter, eggs, and possibly, veggies. Not all these things on the same morning, but enough things to have variety day to day.

Might as well start with the oats.
I have had steel-cut oats before and I had some in the pantry, so I made a big batch of them, using Heidi Swanson's method of preparation in her cookbook Super Natural Cooking.
She also includes 7 ways to top steel-cut oats, but I had fresh cranberries, so I made a topping with fresh cranberries and pure maple syrup. That way I didn't have to add any sugar to the oats. The topping was just perfect. I also added sliced almonds and a little bit of skim milk, after I took the picture.

Cooking this many oats at once was great because then I put the leftovers in an 8x8-inch pan and let them chill in the fridge overnight.
The next morning I was able to cut a piece out and enjoy it topped with strawberries and almonds. I also froze single servings in plastic containers with the cranberry topping, so I have a quick breakfast when I need one.

Steel-cut Oats from Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson
6 cups water
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats

Bring water to a boil. Stir in salt, then oats. Lower heat and barely simmer, uncovered for 35-40 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.

Fresh Cranberry-Maple Topping by Mary Ann
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/4- 1/2 cup real maple syrup (depending on how sweet you want it to be)
1/2 cup water


Combine cranberries, syrup and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over med-high heat. Stir and lower heat to medium. Continue to cook, for 10-15 minutes or until bubbly and thick.

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

So, are you having a great 2010 so far?
Well, I am. I joined up with close to 200 other people to participate in something called
Ten in 10: Ten Weeks to healthy in 2010. You can read more about this by going to THIS POST on The Recipe Girl's blog.

Basically, it is just about getting healthy in 2010. Everyone has different goals and knows what they need to do to be healthier. We have just joined together to provide support for each other and to be committed to something, so that we can accomplish our goals.
Not too much on my blog is going to change. We eat pretty healthy around here most of the time. I am going to try and have better breakfasts and lunches during the week for me, but this challenge is not going to be the focus of my blog. I am going to try and eat less sugar and also make sure that I exercise 6 days a week.

I love the beginning of a new year because it just feels like there is so much promise and renewal.

I made these muffins a couple weeks ago, before I even knew about 10in10 and modified them to make them healthier just because that is what I do with food most of the time.
I saw these muffins on The Food Librarian and had pumpkin and fresh cranberries in my fridge, so went ahead and threw them together one morning.
Mary mentioned that she wanted to try these muffins with fresh cranberries (the original recipe used dried cranberries) and crystallized ginger. I had both of these items available and decided to give her idea a try.
I also replaced half the flour with whole wheat flour, upped the spices, replaced the whole eggs with egg whites, replaced half the oil with unsweetened applesauce, and reduced the sugar by a couple of Tablespoons.
Breakfast foods like muffins, are a good place to switch out ingredients and make things healthier because they aren't supposed to be dessert. :)

I really liked these. I already love the combination of pumpkin and cranberry and I like fresh cranberries more than dried, so I knew I would love them. The cranberries were really tart, but were offset by the sweet chunks of crystallized ginger. You could also toss the chopped cranberries in a little bit of sugar, to make them not quite so tart.

These did taste healthy, but I didn't mind, because I like it when things taste healthy.

If you are unsure about making these muffins with all the healthy changes that I made, check out the links below to see the original recipe and modify it to your liking.

Pumpkin Cranberry Ginger Muffins adapted from The Food Librarian
Adapted from Very Culinary Blog who adapted it from Betty Crocker


In large bowl, mix together:
1 c all purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/4 t salt

Combine the following in a small bowl. Then quickly fold into dry mixture with a spatula until just moistened. Do not overmix!
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c canola or vegetable oil
3 egg whites or 1/2 cup egg white substitute
1 1/4 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1/3 c crystallized ginger, chopped

Scoop into muffin tray greased with cooking spray or lined with muffin cups (I use an ice cream scoop). Top with sanding sugar or sugar in the raw (turbinado). Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Cranberry Orange Scones

A couple of weeks ago, Bridget of The Way the Cookie Crumbles, posted a bunch of scone recipes, one after the other.
I had been looking for another way to use my fresh cranberries and had seen lots of scones with dried cranberries, but fresh are so much better!
I made some scones with fresh cranberries last year, which were really good, but I always like trying new recipes and I loved that this recipe had 1 1/2 cups of fresh cranberries.
Bridget noted that the original recipe calls for lemon zest to be used in these scones, but she used orange instead and I wanted to use orange too, because cranberry and orange is a classic combination in my mind.
I was curious if I could make these work using low-fat buttermilk instead of heavy cream, just to make them a little bit on the healthier side.
I did it and they worked.
I reduced the amount by about 2 Tbls and the dough was still very soft, but it worked.

I also made a quick glaze with powdered sugar, fresh orange juice and orange zest.
These were delicious!
My girls and my nephew each gobbled one down, which kind of surprised me since the cranberries are very tart.
I froze a couple, which were already baked and shared them with my sister when she came to visit.
These would also make a great holiday breakfast or brunch item. Very seasonal and festive.

And besides, cranberries have more antioxidants than almost any other fruit. That has to make you feel good about eating one of these scones.


Recipe for Cranberry Orange Scones

More Christmas Cookies and Treats

When my sister was here visiting a couple weeks ago, I asked her what cookies she wanted me to make and send her for Christmas. I gave her some Holiday Baking Magazines and told her to pick as many as she wanted.
She folded down lots and lots of pages and then I narrowed it down to 6. I chose things that I could make all in the same day and then threw in a couple more treats at the end.

First up is Peppermint Bark. This is a Christmas goodie that my mom has made for quite a few years and she uses Martha Stewarts recipe. I actually like it better when you use almond bark instead of white chocolate, so that is what I did. I like to sprinkle some of the chopped candy canes on top, as well as mixing them into the melted white stuff. My hubby really likes this and so do my kids. Great gift.
Recipe for Peppermint Bark
My sister requested a molasses cookie and I decided I would make Dorie's recipe, because I knew it was a crowd pleaser. This time I didn't flatten my balls of dough, so I had smaller, chewier cookies. This recipe is so great that it really deserves a repeat.
I sent some of the last batch to my family, so they will be super excited to get more of them in the mail.

Recipe for Sugar Topped Molasses Spice Cookies
I saw this cookie in a Martha Stewart Holiday Cookie issue and was intrigued by the combination of cornmeal and dried fruit in a cookie. I knew sending this cookie to someone else would be great, since most members of my family do not like cornmeal. The recipe originally called for dried cherries, but I subbed in dried cranberries because that is what I had in the pantry.
These also have orange zest and they aren't overly sweet. Great cookie.
Recipe for Cornmeal-Cranberry Cookies

I saw this cookie in a couple of different Martha Stewart mags and remembered that Tracey made them a couple weeks ago. I figured bars are great for sending and these have all types of mix-ins, so they were added into the bunch.
I subbed in peanut butter chips for the butterscotch chips, toffee bits for the white chocolate and then, on top of that, these have chocolate chips, cut up caramels, and marshmallows.
What a combination. I think I will have to make these again. My son was upset that he didn't get to sample one.
Recipe for Rocky Ledge Bars
My sister wanted these peanut butter bars. They were supposed to have Hershey's Kisses on top, but I thought they would send better if they didn't have those on top. They are a play on Peanut Butter Kisses, but easier to make because they are a bar. I used creamy peanut butter in these, instead of chunky.

Recipe for Peanut Butter Bars

My sister chose these bars and I thought they were a great choice because they have green and red in them naturally. They have a basic butter, flour, brown sugar crust, which you prebake for a few minutes and then the cranberry-pistachio topping is added and they are put back in the oven to finish baking.
Great way to use fresh cranberries.
Recipe for Cranberry Pistachio Bars
My sister also chose these pumpkin oatmeal raisin cookies. They are just like an oatmeal raisin cookie, but with pumpkin puree added to the batter. I made these into bars, simply because I was trying to bake 8 different things all in one day and it made it easier for me.
I wasn't too excited about these, but I did taste a small square and they really were good. Definitely more tasty then they might seem.
So, these are all the items that made it into my treat box. I sent a few of most of these cookies to my Secret Baker.
I also made a batch of Spiced Pecans and the upcoming cookie for Tuesdays with Dorie got thrown into the mix too.
Needless to say, after this day of baking, packaging and mailing, I was wiped out. It was worth it though.
I also threw in a picture of the Cake Pops I made last weekend for a birthday party. These are a fun little treat for a Christmas or Holiday get-together, if you need a fun idea.
How-to for Cake Pops
Pumpkin Raisin Oatmeal Cookies from Woman's Day Holiday Cookies 2009
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cup quick oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup walnuts (I omitted these)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets.
2. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in nuts and raisins.
4. Drop by rounded Tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned and set in centers. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe for Peppermint Bark

Recipe for Cornmeal-Cranberry Cookies

Recipe for Rocky Ledge Bars

Recipe for Peanut Butter Bars

Recipe for Cranberry Pistachio Bars

Recipe for Sugar Topped Molasses Spice Cookies

Cake Pops