Barefoot Contessa with Ina Garten is one of the many shows I enjoy watching on the Food Network. Her recipes, both sweet and savoury are a no fail and as I found out recently, quite good even if you forget an ingredient! This is a personal favourite because it has a lovely balance of sweet and tart. It's easy to make, lovely to look at and really an ideal hostess gift especially if you pick up a pretty pie plate that can be used to make this and other sweet treats.
I always buy bags of cranberries when I see them on sale, use what I need and toss the rest in the freezer. They are such a great addition to cakes and muffins. The recipe as Ina Garten makes it can be found on foodnetwork.com - Easy Cranberry and Apple Cake. This is my version because, I ran out of green apples and oranges and substituted with Fuji apple and grapefruit and completely forgot about the sour cream until after the cake was in the oven!
Here in Canada, schools had March break last week and our friend N came over with her two kids. We had a lovely Indian lunch at Tandoori Flame and then came home to bake. Nothing makes one realize how fast time flies as when looking at kids you knew as newborns who are now delightful youngsters. 8 year old D was my efficient sous chef while her 11 year old brother kept us chuckling in the kitchen as he periodically burst into laughter while watching something on his iPad with head phones on.
This one is for D with love and thanks : >
Skill Level : Easy
Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 bag (12 oz.) fresh cranberries
- 1 Fuji apple peeled, and diced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
- juice of half a grapefruit (1/4 cup)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (plus 1 tsp reserved for topping)
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar (plus 1 Tbsp sugar reserved for topping)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 113 g (1 stick) butter melted and cooled slightly
- 1 cup all purpose flour
METHOD:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F
- Rinse and pick out stems from cranberries and keep aside in a colander
- In a deep pie plate or round/oval oven proof dish combine apples, cranberries, brown sugar, lemon zest, grapefruit juice and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Set aside
- Beat eggs on medium - high for 2 minutes, reduce speed and add 1 cup of sugar, slightly cooled butter, salt and vanilla. Mix until combined
- Pat down the fruit to ensure the base of the dish is evenly covered
- Pour the (thick) mixture over the apple cranberry mix and cover fruit completely
- Sprinkle the top with the reserved sugar and cinnamon
- Bake for 55 - 60 minutes until a tooth pick inserted into the centre comes out clean
- Serve warm or at room temperature
