Easy Cranberry & Apple Cake

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and medium-diced
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (2 oranges)
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 1/8 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Combine the cranberries, apple, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium, add 1 cup of the granulated sugar, the butter, vanilla, and sour cream and beat just until combined. On low speed, slowly add the flour and salt.
4. Pour the fruit mixture evenly into a 10-inch glass pie plate. Pour the batter over the fruit, covering it completely. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle it over the batter. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a tooth-pick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Frosted Peanut Cookies Recipe

Oats, chopped peanuts and peanut butter frosting make this a nice change of pace from a traditional peanut butter cookie. After folks sample these, compliments and recipe requests always follow.

This recipe is: Quick

30 Servings / Prep: 20 min. Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup chopped salted peanuts

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/3 cup milk

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in oats and peanuts.
2. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto un-greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.
3. In a large bowl, beat the frosting ingredients until smooth. Frost cookies. Yield: 5 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 2 cookies equals 244 calories, 11 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 31 mg cholesterol, 138 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Cinnamon Apple Pizza Recipe

10 Servings / Prep: 10 min. Bake: 15 min. + cooling

Ingredients:

• 1 tube (12.4 ounces) refrigerated cinnamon roll dough
• 1 can (21 ounces) apple pie filling
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:

1. Set cinnamon roll icing aside. Separate dough into individual rolls; roll out each into a 4-in. circle. Arrange on a greased 12-in. pizza pan, overlapping edges. Bake at 400 degrees F for 8 minutes.
2. Spoon the apple pie filling over rolls to within 1/2-in. of edge. Combine the brown sugar and butter; sprinkle over pie filling. Bake 6-8 minutes longer or until the crust is golden brown. Cool. Drizzle with the reserved icing. Yield: 10-12 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 208 calories, 5 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 3 mg cholesterol, 309 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.

Rolo Pretzels with Pretzel M&M’s

Ingredients:

• Mini Pretzels
• Rolo Candies
• Pretzel M&M’s

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place mini pretzels on a large baking sheet. Top each pretzel with one Rolo candy. Place in the oven for 4-5 minutes, until Rolo candies start to melt. Don’t melt them all the way.
3. Remove from oven and lightly press a Pretzel M&M on top of each Rolo.
4. Eat warm or let them cool if you want them to set up.

Kiwi and Nutella Crepes

(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 4 crepes
• 8 tablespoons Nutella
• 8 Kiwis (peeled and sliced)
• 1/4 cup almond slices (toasted)

Directions:

1. Assemble crepes and garnish with walnut slices.

Banana & Almond Butter Toast

This breakfast option couldn’t be simpler, but it packs a nutritional wallop. The rye bread and banana will get you halfway to your resistant-starch goal, and the almond butter adds metabolism-boosting MUSAs, too.

Prep: <5 minutes / Total Time: <5 minutes / Makes: 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 1 slice rye bread, toasted
• 1 banana, sliced

Directions:

1. Spread almond butter on toast.
2. Top with banana slices.

Serving Size: Calories 280; Fat 11g (sat 1g, mono7g, poly 2.5g); Cholesterol 0mg; Protein: 6g; Carbohydrate 44g; Sugars 16g; Fiber 5g; RS 5.6g; Sodium 260mg

Hazelnut-Blueberry Bread

Servings: 12

The moist, flavorful quick bread boasts a toasty nut flavor, and when combined with your choice of dried blueberries or cranberries, it will become a family favorite. Serve the bread with a spread of spiced cream cheese butter. Quick bread differs from other kinds of bread in that it takes very little time to make and is most often prepared with a batter instead of dough.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup cooking oil
• 1 cup chopped hazelnuts or pecans, toasted
• 1/2 cup dried blueberries or dried cranberries
• Spiced Cream Cheese Butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan or four 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 x 1-1/2-inch loaf pans; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, beat egg with a fork; stir in brown sugar, orange juice, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in nuts and dried berries.
4. Spoon batter into prepared pan(s); spread evenly. Bake 8x4x2-inch pan about 50 minutes or 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 x 1-1/2-inch pans for 25 to 28 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near the center(s) comes out clean.
5. Cool in pan(s) on wire rack(s) for 10 minutes. Remove from pan(s). Cool completely on wire rack(s). Wrap and store overnight before slicing. Serve with Spiced Cream Cheese Butter.
6. Makes 1 large or 4 small loaves (12 to 14 servings)