FBF: Cranberry and Apple Cake

FLASH-BACK FRIDAY

CRANBERRY AND APPLE CAKE

click on image to see full post from 10/11/2011

Cranberry and Apple Cake

I saw Barefoot Contessa make this on the Today Show a week back, and I knew I had to make it. And it was fabulous. Its defiantly on my "to make" list for Thanksgiving!

This recipe is taken directly from Barefoot Contessa, but the images are my own.

CRANBERRY AND APPLE CAKE

• 
  
• 12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly 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

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the cranberries, apple, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

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.

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 toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

[I discovered, since I used a deeper dish than recipe called for, that it needed more time--it was a bit dough-y in the middle. So increase your cooking time to 1-1/2 hours if you choose to cook in a similar dish]

Grilled Stuffed Pork Loin

GRILLED STUFFED PORK LOIN

Not all pork loins can be stuffed. When choosing a pork loin, look for short and wide shape. That gives more surface area once roast is opened up. Avoid long and thin pork loins, too little room for stuffing.

Filling
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large shallot, halved lengthwise and sliced thing crosswise
1 1/2 cups packed dried apples (4 oz)
1/2 cup packed dried cranberries
1 tblsp grated fresh ginger
1 tblsp yellow mustard seeds
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper


Bring all the ingredients to simmer in medium saucepan over med-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until apples are very soft, about 20 minutes. Push mixture through fine-mesh strainer to extract as much liquid as possible. Return liquid to saucepan and simmer over med-high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup cup, about 5 minutes; reserve glaze. Meanwhile, pulse apple mixture in food processor until uniformly coarsely chopped, about 15 1-second pulses. Transfer filling to bowl and refrigerate while preparing pork.

Pork
1 boneless center-cut pork loin roast (about 2 1/2 pounds)
kosher salt and ground black pepper
vegetable oil for cooking grate

Cut meat into an even 1/2 inch thickness. Start cutting across on bottom, "rolling" meat out until you have an even thickness rectangle. Click HERE for a similar cutting strategy. Season liberally with salt and spread apple filling en even layer, leaving 1/2 inch border. Roll tightly and tie with twine at 1-inch intervals. I used my special  reusable "food loop" ties that I used as a giveaway HERE quite a ways back. They are awesome!

INDIRECT heat grilling
Heat grill on high heat, scrap grate to clean, then rub oil over to prevent sticking. Turn off one side of the grill and place the roast, with fat side up first, on the side without flames. Continue grilling, rotating only once, until instant-read thermometer stuck in the thickest part of roast reads 130 to 135 degrees F. About 55 to 70 minutes. When you flip the roast half way through, brush with the reserved glaze. Brush roast again 5 minutes before removing from heat.

Transfer to cutting board and loosely cover it with foil, and let it rest 15 minutes. Cut into slices and serve immediately!