Cranberry Celebration

Spicy formulas that feature the combined tartness and sweetness of this festive berry

Hazelnut Baklava with Pear Filling:

Ingredients
Cream cheese, softened -1816 g
Anjou pears, peeled, cored and cubed -1244 g
Honey – 420 g
Eggs – 392 g
Lemon peel, grated – 21 g
Hazelnuts, skin removed, toasted, finely chopped – 818 g
Cranberries, sweetened, dried, chopped – 678 g
Sugar – 594 g
Cinnamon – 28 g
Cloves, ground – 7 g
Phyllo pastry, defrosted – 908 g
Butter, melted – 454 g

Method:
1. Beat cream cheese and pears with whip on high speed until smooth; scrape bowl.
2 Add honey, eggs, and lemon peel; mix on low speed until blended, then scrape bowl and set aside.
3. Stir hazelnuts, cranberries, sugar, cinnamon and cloves in separate large bowl until blended; set aside.
4. Place one phyllo layer over bottom of buttered 4-inch deep full
pan or 16×24-inch sheet pan with extenders; brush with butter.
5. Add nine more layers of phyllo, brushing each with butter.
6. Pour half of the cream cheese mixture over phyllo.
7. Reserve a small portion of spice mixture to sprinkle over top of baklava, then divide remaining spice mixture in half; sprinkle half of mixture over cream cheese layer.
8. Place seven layers of phyllo over spice mixture, brushing each layer with butter.
9. Spread remaining cream cheese mixture, sprinkle with other half
of spice mixture then cover with seven layers of phyllo (brushing each
layer with butter).
10.    Sprinkle remaining spice mixture over buttered top.
11.    Bake at 300 F for 45 to 60 minutes until golden brown and centre is set. Cool and refrigerate.

Yield: 96, 2-inch bars

Cranberry Whole Wheat Muffins:

Ingredients   
All-purpose flour – 2550 g
Whole wheat flour – 908 g
Sugar – 1586 g
Orange peel, dried – 56 g
Ginger, ground – 21 g
Baking soda – 28 g
Salt – 28 g
Milk, whole – 2856 g
Butter, melted – 908 g
Eggs – 510 g
Cranberries, fresh or frozen (thawed), drained and sliced – 1418 g
Sugar – 393 g

Method:
1. Place flours, sugar, orange peel, ginger, baking soda and salt in mixed bowl.
2. Mix with paddle on low speed until blended.
3 Blend milk, butter and eggs in separate bowl, then pour into flour mixture.
4 Mix on low speed 30 to 60 seconds until just blended; do not overmix.
5. Stir cranberries into batter until blended.
6. Portion with #8 scoop into prepared jumbo muffin cups.
7. Sprinkle tops with sugar.
8. Bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Yield: Approximately 7 dozen, 112 g muffins

Source: The Cranberry Marketing Committee, www.uscranberries.com