Sweet Cranberry quick bread

I love holiday baking. To preface any celebration I almost always spend the days before baking. This Yule's dessert menu will include banana bread (p134 K.W.) cranberry bread, chocolate flourless cake, almond cake, and a cheese cake. (Recipes in post)

I found einkorn flour this week at my corner Grocery Outlet. I am so lucky that the owner stocks a lot of organic and gluten-free ingredients. They alway carry good priced organic produce (Potatoes, onions, spinach, carrots, lettuce, celery, etc.) milk, and eggs and often have yogurt and even organic butter.

I visit several times a week, foraging what I can and create my meal plans around the ingredients I find. And I always stock up on organic staples, like flour, when it is available.

The bread in the back is the banana bread from my book Kitchen Witchery.

The two loafs in the front are cranberry, the left made with a blend of einkorn and all purpose. The one on the right a blend of einkorn and King Arthur's gluten free measure for measure replacement.

Elevate the winter holidays with the festive energy of the cranberry. Cranberries hold protective energy to cleanse, heal, encourage communication, inspire love and promote bonding.

Sweet Cranberry Quick Bread

The flavor of this quick bread is carried by the dried cranberries and the butter so try to use a good quality butter.

You will need:

1 cup flour or a gluten free measure for measure replacement

1/2 cup einkorn, whole wheat, or another ancient grain flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup milk

3 Tablespoons sour cream or plain greek yoghurt

1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 9″ loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. In a bowl, sift the flours together with the baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, milk, and sour cream and mix until smooth. Stir in the cranberries. Then spoon batter into baking pan and bake for 1 hour.

Chocolate is an amazing joyful food loaded with the psychoactive feel-good chemicals which releases dopamine in the pleasure centers of the brain. It also contains tryptophan, an amino acid that converts into serotonin, a neurotransmitter known to promote a sense of well-being and relaxation. Chocolate is good for your brain, as it contains the compound resveratrol, which has been found to slow cognitive decline. Chocolate is made from Cocoa, the crushed or ground seeds of the cacao tree. The raw cacao bean is a concentrated source of antioxidants. It has more antioxidants than red wine and green tea, which makes it one of the most healing longevity foods. To the people of Central America, the cacao tree was a gift from the god Quetzalcoatl, as it contains compounds that induce a sense of well-being.

Light and Gooey Flourless Chocolate Cake

You will need:

1 12 oz package of chocolate chips or 3 bars (3 to 3.5 ounce) of your favorite chocolate

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

2 Tablespoons strong coffee or cognac both work well

2 teaspoons vanilla

6 eggs, separated

1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper and set aside. Boil water in a large saucepan. Place the chocolate chips in a heat resistant bowl and set the bowl over the boiling water to melt the chocolate. If using bars, break the chocolate into bits as you place it in the bowl. Stir the chocolate as it begins to melt. Add the coffee and the butter and stir until mixture is smooth. Heat only until the chocolate is melted having care not to overcook. When the chocolate mixture is smooth remove the pan from the heat. Mix in egg yolks and vanilla. Stir until smooth and set aside. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until foamy. Add the sugar and beat until shiny soft peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten. Gently fold another third of the whites into the batter. And lastly fold the remaining third into the chocolate mixture retaining as much fluffiness as possible. Spoon the mixture into the springform pan and bake for 40 minutes. The outside should be crispy while the inside is gooey. Top with whipped cream or serve with vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate is an amazing joyful food loaded with the psychoactive feel-good chemicals which releases dopamine in the pleasure centers of the brain. It also contains tryptophan, an amino acid that converts into serotonin, a neurotransmitter known to promote a sense of well-being and relaxation. Chocolate is good for your brain, as it contains the compound resveratrol, which has been found to slow cognitive decline. Chocolate is made from Cocoa, the crushed or ground seeds of the cacao tree. The raw cacao bean is a concentrated source of antioxidants. It has more antioxidants than red wine and green tea, which makes it one of the most healing longevity foods. To the people of Central America, the cacao tree was a gift from the god Quetzalcoatl, as it contains compounds that induce a sense of well-being.

Almond Cake

I love this recipe. It bakes up into a delicious dependable cake that stays fresh tasting for a week or more. During the holidays I like to bake it up in mass and hand out to my neighbors. This year I baked 5 in one day to give out as gifts.

You will need:

1 box of almond paste (7 or 8 ounces)

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup of butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

sliced candied almonds to finish

Heat oven to 350. Spray a springform pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. In a small bowl stir together the sour cream and baking soda. Set aside for the mixture to rise, about 10 minutes. In another bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Set aside. In a mixing bowl cream the butter, sugar, and eggs until smooth. Crumble in the almond paste and mix until incorporate. Stir in the sour cream mixture mix and then fold in the flour until no streaks remain. Scrape batter into pan and bake for about 55 minutes. The top should spring back when you press it lightly.

Country Cheese Cake

You will need:

For the crust

a 9 inch springform pan

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 Tablespoons almond flour

6 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 Tablespoons heavy cream

For the first layer

16 ounces of cream cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

For the second layer

1 1/2 cup sour cream

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 375 F. Pour graham cracker crumbs, almond flour, and sugar into pan and stir together. Add butter and cream and stir. Press into bottom of pan.

In a mixing bowl beat together cream cheese, eggs, and sugar until well beaten. Mix in lemon juice and salt.

Pour over crust and bake in hot oven for 20 minutes. Cheese should just set.

In a mixing bowl mix together sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Remove cake from oven and carefully pour on second layer without disturbing the first.

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Let cake cool before serving.