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MANUAL
do-it-yourself
pre-Thanksgiving treats
The big feast is a week away, but why not celebrate early with a simple dessert and a delicious cocktail that have hints of Thanksgiving hidden in them? Gather some friends together and enjoy the sweetness and warmth of these recipes.
—Heather Melanson
Photo by Heather Melanson
Baked apples are an easy, delicious alternative to making an entire apple pie.
Baked apples
If you like apple pie, then you'll love this recipe. Baked apples are an easy way to enjoy the taste of apple pie sans crust. The tartness of the warm apple and the buttery, sugary mix with a hint of cinnamon make for a yummy fall treat.
4 tart green apples
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tbp. butter
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut a well in the top of the apples, but don't cut to the bottom.Cut a wide enough well to hold all the ingredients. Stuff each apple with two tablespoons of brown sugar and a tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the apples and bake them in a shallow dish for 15 minutes.
Source: www.allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Apples/Detail.aspx
Hot buttered cranberry cocktail
Don't wait for Thanksgiving to get your cranberry fix. This cranberry cocktail is smooth and not too sweet. The slight taste of rum with a blend of melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon balances out the tartness of the cranberry juice and brings forth an aroma of holiday spices.
8 oz. Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice
Cocktail
1 cinnamon stick
3 tsp. brown sugar
Dash of ground cinnamon
2 tsp. butter
2 tbsp. gold rum
Heat the cranberry juice and cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Place the brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and rum in a mug. Once the juice in the saucepan is warm, pour it over the ingredients in the mug and stir gently.
Source: www.oceanspray.com/plant/recipes/cooktails/hot_buttered_crani.html
a mug-ful of heaven
My grandma is the queen of indulgent treats. During the holidays, my body fat percentage soars from nomming on her sweet peanut brittle, heavenly pumpkin pie and glorious frosted sugar cookies. I know I could never replicate her skill with the oven, but during fall break, she gave me a baking recipe that requires an appliance I do know how to use: the microwave. Here's a delicious cake recipe she gave me. But be wary the next time you climb on your scale—it's called "dangerous" for a reason.
Author Gloria Hander Lyons has microwave baking down to an art, and she wrote a book about it titled Easy Microwave Desserts in a Mug. She says she came up with the idea because her husband travels a lot and she didn't want a two-layer cake sitting on the kitchen counter calling
her name every day for a week. Lyons has more than 80 recipes, so if you're inspired to do even more mug-sized baking, check out her Web site. www. bluesagepress.com.
—Ariel Tilson
Dangerous Chocolate Cake-in-a-mug:
1 large coffee mug
4 tbsp. plain flour
4 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. cocoa
1 egg
3 tbsp. milk
3 tbsp. cooking oil
Small splash of vanilla
1. Add the dry ingredients to the coffee mug.
2. Mix in the egg.
3. Pour the milk, oil and vanilla into the mug and mix well.
4. Put the mug in the microwave and cook for three minutes on 1,000 watts.
5. Watch the magic happen as the cake rises over the top of the mug. Don't worry—it won't overflow.
6. Allow the cake to cool for a couple minutes, or for however long you can make yourself wait.
7. Gleefully devour.
18
November 20,2008
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