Friday, November 20, 2015

housework can be sort of fun

One of the benefits of cleaning out and defrosting the chest freezer, is knowing that eight gallon jugs of cider will soon create a perfect new bottom layer.

Another benefit is the fun challenge of using up what's left in the freezer. Like baking and roasting and stewing the last of the organic chicken purchased when it was on sale. And those crazy frozen "pumpkin" waffles which I will never - ever - buy again, but which will be eaten this time and not wasted.

And this morning, the cranberries.

Question: how many cranberries can be added to one cake?



Answer: not sure yet!

Will let you know when the cake has cooled. If it turns out to be a mass of cranberries lightly held together with fragments of cake, I will know I have gone a bit too far.


Fun to experiment, anyway! And I wish you could walk through my kitchen right now - the aroma is wonderful. Like taffy? Fudge? Hard to say exactly, I can't identify it. Maybe it's just been too long since I used sugar in a recipe!

~~~

I rarely do this, but I'm coming back with an update.
Less than an hour after posting.
Because:


The cranberry ratio is Just Right!
What a lucky, happy bake :)
~~~~~

17 comments:

  1. Oh man, that looks so good! I have been avoiding sugar, too, but nothing is more tempting than a cranberry-something. :)

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    1. I agree - cranberries are like edible gems :)

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  2. Looks delicious. I did a similar thing last night adding cranberries to pumpkin bread I was making. It held together well, so 2 cups wasn't too much!

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  3. Happy Cranberry Cake!
    Looks good.
    Thank you for the tip on pumpkin waffles. They were on my list.
    I think sugar gives the air a cake batter aroma.
    Try the orange cranberry cake sometime...yellow cake, frozen orange juice, and whole cranberry sauce. Orange cranberry sauce drizzle over the cake, like a jello cake where you pierce the top for the sauce to sink in.

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    1. I couldn't bring myself to let Piper have a waffle even though she wanted one. Blech!

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  4. "cranberries are like edible gems" I so whole-heartedly agree! The cake looks beautiful. At first glance it looks like it is filled with pink and white flowers. Also, I'm with you -- I love to find ways to use up food. Thanks!

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  5. oooh - I want some of that cake!!! I love cranberries in absolutely anything.

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    1. Do you think anyone would be interested in the recipe? Or is this such a simple and common sort of cake that everyone already has a favorite way to make it?

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  6. Now that's the way a fruit-type cake is supposed to be! With real fresh fruit, not that yucky candied stuff, held together with a moist, tasty cake. Perfect!

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    1. There are two pieces left, Leigh. Come quick.

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  7. When I had a giant chest freezer (large vegetable garden in those days, froze for the winter) I used to defrost in mid July, so my son and the kid next door could play with big chunks of ice in the hot sun! they played snowballing and generally fooling around, had a wonderful time.

    The bottom of my current freezer is a layer of containers of dye!

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  8. Oh yum! It looks delicious! I use dried cranberries a lot in salads. Now, eight gallon jugs of cider sounds heavenly!!! We just started getting cider over here. I've been waiting years for it.

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    1. So glad you are getting cider now! The first sip of apple cider is a seasonal event for me, and every sip afterward is pretty special, too. Let me know when to raise my glass in a shared international toast!

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  9. That cake looks delicious. Having just tiny bits of cake holding the fruit together sounds perfect. Makes me wish I had picked up another bag of cranberries when I was at the store earlier today!

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  10. that cake looks amazing! Quinn, I want to make apple cranberry jam and cranberry marmalade...maybe tomorrow but certainly next week, she says hopefully. The cider sounds a treat; I used to can cider and have frozen some, depending upon freezer space. I looked at pumpkin waffles and decided no, now I'm glad I did...lol

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    1. If I have saved you from those "pumpkin" waffles, I am very glad. They totally ruined pumpkin for me this year - and I love real pumpkin!
      I made a note of your quick cranberry/orange marmalade recipe on your blog - was it last year? - and even bought cute little jars to put it in for gifts...and then I forgot! Maybe this year?!

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