Ahhhh. . .Cran-Rasberry Upside-Down Cake - Simply delicious!
The cranberries and raspberries were the perfect tart-sweet combination. I was concerned about using frozen cranberries instead of fresh. Happily, the frozen cranberries were firm, and a bright, cheerful red.
The deep yellow of the lemon zest is beautiful. I debated whether to use a Meyer lemon with its cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, but chose to use a lemon with a sour-tart taste.
Handy measuring spoons when the recipe calls for approximate amounts.
The syrup for the cran-raspberry topping was a bit exciting going from the lemony sugar state to the amber color state.
When reaching 332 degrees, the syrup finally turned to amber.
The parchment round is a must in this recipe to prevent the cranberry mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Pouring the syrup into the pan, it hardened quickly so swirling it around was difficult. I ended up spreading the syrup around the pan.
The batter for the cake reminded me of the Busy-Day Cake made by farm women in the 1930's except for using sour cream instead of buttermilk. The women used what they had in their pantries or very simple ingredients. I wondered about the small amount of batter, but it filled the prepared pan 3/4 full.
The baking stone worked perfectly to melt the hardened syrup into the cranberries.
I took the pan from the oven and placed it on a cooling rack and ran a metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the cake.
It was a trick turning the hot cake pan onto the cake stand I used instead of a plate.
I used seedless raspberry preserves and heated it 15 seconds before pouring it over the cranberries.
Simply Baked!
Pouring a stream of sugary syrup over the egg whites, I was careful not to let the syrup touch the beaters so they would not spin it onto the sides of the bowl.
The Italian meringue reminds me of an irridescent pearl yet simple to make.
So loved the Cran-Raspberry Upside-Down Cake. Hope you do, too!
Hugs,
Anna
So loved the Cran-Raspberry Upside-Down Cake. Hope you do, too!
Hugs,
Anna
The Baking Bible: Luxury Oatmeal Cookies
3/22/2015
3/22/2015
I am so excited to be a part of the Alpha Bakers! The Luxury Oatmeal Cookies are quite similar to Mrs. King's Irresistibles
in Rose's Christmas Cookies cookbook. Mrs. King's Irresistibles called for unsweetened granola mix which I bought at a local bakery. I remember being somewhat dissapointed with the cookies. After making the Luxury Oatmeal Cookies I now know that the homemade granola made all the difference.
in Rose's Christmas Cookies cookbook. Mrs. King's Irresistibles called for unsweetened granola mix which I bought at a local bakery. I remember being somewhat dissapointed with the cookies. After making the Luxury Oatmeal Cookies I now know that the homemade granola made all the difference.
The granola was easy to make. I used a Grade A dark maple syrup from Maine that is incredibly delicious. We vacation in Maine during the summer months. These folks know how to make syrup. I spread out the granola on a full sheet pan and baked it for only 12 minutes. It worked perfectly.
The butter and sugars were creamed together in my Bosch mixer. I do have a 6 quart Kitchen Aide mixer but I'm still trying to convince myself I like using it. Using small bowls, I whisked the dry ingredients and in another bowl whisked the egg with the vanilla.
This sea salt grinder works wonderfully well. The dark brown sugar is from Wholesome Sweeteners. It is amazingly moist and has a deep molasses fragrance. I love this sugar!
The first cookies I baked for 8 minutes. They seemed a bit dry so the remaining cookies were cooked for 6 minutes. This resulted in a cookie that was moist in the center and crisp on the outside.
The cookies taste absolutely amazing!
Hugs,
Anna
(Oldtrucksndirtyboots Photography)
The cookies taste absolutely amazing!
Hugs,
Anna
(Oldtrucksndirtyboots Photography)