Cranberry-Maple Pudding Cake

This is a wonderful cranberry dessert that is perfect any time of of the year, especially during the holidays. I don’t remember when we actually made this dessert for the first time, but I do remember the little “catastrophe” that followed….
My husband, Matt and I were over at my parents’ house back in 2010 for a Sunday lunch. My dad normally grills out when we come over, and I remember my mom, sister and I put together this delicious cranberry-maple pudding cake at the last minute.  After a satisfying lunch, we were ready to go home. With leftover food in his hands, Matt carried out the pudding cake, car keys, and some of my “stuff” to the car. Unfortunately, the dessert would never make it home…
The cranberry dessert slipped from Matt’s hands, and fell to it’s final destination, the concrete driveway, producing broken casserole dish pieces galore. Okay, I may be exaggerating a little, but we were certainly not going to eat the leftovers in fear that we might swallow some broken glass! Disappointed as we were, I guess we saved ourselves some calories that night, and the next few days as well!
For Christmas this year, we thought we’d whip up this lovely dessert once again. This time, there was no clumsiness and I fully enjoyed leftover cranberry-maple pudding cake for the next week.
As far as taste, this dessert is sure to please those that like cooked fruit (not my dad). The maple syrup calms down the tart cranberries and creates a slightly sweet and delectable flavor.  I am reminded of a cobbler with a sweet cornbread taste, juicy fruit, and an interestingly irresistible texture. Top it with a simple squirt of Reddi-wip, a dollop Cool Whip, or my favorite… a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, and you’ve got yourself a crowd pleaser.
Enjoy!

Cranberry-Maple Pudding Cake

Ingredients
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup pure maple syrup (grade B or grade A dark amber)
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 tsp. finely grated orange peel
pinch plus 1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal (preferably stone-ground)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Creme fraiche, softly whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream

Directions
1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Combine first 4 ingredients and a pinch of salt in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat.
2. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt in medium bowl.
3. Whisk egg and sugar in another medium bowl. Whisk milk, melted butter, and vanilla into egg mixture. Add flour mixture to egg mixture; whisk to blend.
4. Pour warm cranberry mixture into 11 x 7 x 2-inch or 8 x 8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Pour batter over.
5. Bake cake until golden and cranberry mixture bubbles at edges, about 28 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Serve cake warm topped with creme fraiche whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.

Yield: 6-8 servings
Recipe from: Gourmet Magazine

White Chocolate Cranberry Dreams

Two days in a row of dream cookies!  These White Chocolate Cranberry Dreams get their sweetness from the Jell-O French Vanilla instant pudding mix, Godiva white chocolate vanilla bean bar, and sweetened dried cranberries.  These are one of my most favorite cookies, and they are perfect for this Christmas season.  I made these White Chocolate Cranberry Dreams by altering the Double White Chocolate Dreams recipe in Linda J. Amendt’s “400 Sensational Cookies” cookbook by substituting French Vanilla instant pudding mix for the White Chocolate pudding mix, and using dried cranberries instead of macadamia nuts.
Stay tuned…more dream cookies to come!  Enjoy!
Cream butter, shortening, and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs, vanilla, and dry ingredients to batter.

*Godiva white chocolate vanilla bean bar given to me by one of my wonderful students.
Chop white chocolate or prepare 1 1/2 cups of white chocolate chips.

Stir white chocolate and dried cranberries into dough with a wooden spoon.

Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes in a preheated 375 degree F oven, or until edges are lightly golden.  Cool cookies for 5 minutes on a wire cooling rack.

Slide cookies off parchment paper and cool completely on wire rack.

Enjoy!  Look at that melted Godiva white chocolate!

White Chocolate Cranberry Dreams
(Recipe adapted from the Double White Chocolate Dreams from Linda J. Amendt’s “400 Sensational Cookies” cookbook)

Ingredients
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 package (3.4 oz) instant French Vanilla pudding mix (you can substitute white chocolate or vanilla pudding mix)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips (I combined both because I did not have enough of the Godiva white chocolate vanilla bean bar).
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2.  In a bowl, whisk together flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.  Set aside.
3.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter, shortening, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.  Scrape down sides of bowl.  On low speed or using a wooden spoon, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just blended.  By hand, fold in white chocolate and dried cranberries.
4.  Using a cookie scoop or spoons, drop tablespoonfuls (15 mL) of dough about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.  Bake one sheet at a time in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges start to turn lightly golden.
5.  Immediately slide parchment paper onto a wire cooling rack.  Cool cookies for 5 minutes, then transfer from parchment paper to cooling rack and cool completely.

Yield:  about 3 dozen cookies
Adapted from “400 Sensational Cookies” by Linda J. Amendt