Make Apple-Cranberry Crisp and Pumpkin Doughnuts
Holiday Dessert Ideas With Seasonal Fruits
Sep 18, 2009
Choosing to bake right now with in-season fruits like tart apples, cranberries and sweet pumpkin ensures availability during the holiday season. Not to mention great flavor and colorful decorating possibilities, too.
Apples, cranberries and pumpkin are richly associated with autumn recipes that warm the spirit. These two recipes represent the best of fall color and flavor. Each dish serves an even dozen. Happy baking!
Apple-Cranberry Crisp
Ingredients for Filling:
- 12 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- 8 oz fresh cranberries, washed and dried
- Juice of one lemon
- 1/3 cup brandy
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
Ingredients for Topping:
- 1 cup steel cut oats (like McCann's Irish Oatmeal)
- 1-1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup butter, soft
- 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- To make the filling, toss apples in a large bowl with cranberries, lemon juice, brandy, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Place mixture in 8" x 10" baking dish.
- To make the topping, mix oats, flour, cinnamon, both sugars and softened butter together. Add walnuts if desired. Crumble topping over the apple mixture and cover with foil, baking covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 minutes more till bubbling. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Pumpkin Doughnuts
These doughnuts are baked rather than fried. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
- 3 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
- nonstick cooking spray
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly spritz each of the mini cake pans with nonstick cooking spray (Miniature Bundt pans make a beautiful shape). Then coat each of the molds with half of the granulated sugar, shaking out the excess.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
- In a second bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, oil and lemon zest. Add to dry ingredients and stir till mixture is smooth.
- Spoon enough batter into each mold so that it has room to puff up (around 2/3 full). Bake doughnuts for 15 minutes or until they've puffed up. Loosen edges and place upside down on a wire rack to cool. Yields a dozen doughnuts. Serve warm.
If these fresh fruits aren't available where you live, frozen cranberries and canned pumpkin puree are perfectly acceptable substitutes.
For more holiday recipes using pumpkin and cranberries, you may also enjoy the following:
Great Gifts to Make Using Fresh Cranberries
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