Holiday Berry Fool

Just in case you aren't interested in making pies for the coming holidays, here is a fruit dessert that is at least partially seasonal. Although here in the US we can find raspberries in the stores nearly year round, I'm sad to announce my own garden is no longer producing. However, the recipe can use frozen berries of either kind.

 

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Holiday Berry Fools

Adapted from Cook's Country Magazine
Serves 8 or more

1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries
2 c fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 c orange juice
1 c sugar, plus 2 T
pinch salt
4 c heavy cream, chilled
6 oz. raspberries for serving (better fresh, but frozen will work)

Bring cranberries, raspberries, orange juice, 1 c sugar and salt to boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and allow to simmer until cranberries are softened and the mixture looks like jam, about 15 minutes (because of high altitude it took more like 30 minutes for mine to become jammy). Allow the mixture to cool slightly and puree (with blender, food processor, or stick blender--which I used since I don't like to clean either of the others), then press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Chill in refrigerator for 4 hours or more.

In an electric mixer, beat 3 cups cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold into cooled cranberry mixture until no streaks remain. Fold remaining raspberries into fool mixture. Spoon mixture into goblets or dessert bowls.

Mix remaining 1 c cream with 2 T sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Dollop cream onto fools and serve.

The fools can be prepared in advance and remain in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours. 

Note:

Because our household is small I didn't mix this all together at once. The cranberry mixture can sit in the refrigerator for several days. At serving time I beat cream to equal the amount of cranberry mix per person, mixed it together, and stirred in berries to taste. I'm sure this recipe can be halved as well.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Tin Foil Dinner

As a teen aged girl I attended church-sponsored camps most summers (I attended a couple as an adult leader, too). One of my favorite things about camp was eating at least one tin foil dinner consisting of a hamburger patty, and sliced potatoes, carrots and onions. Pretty simple fare, really, but my parents never cooked them in the hundreds of camp fires my growing-up family built. In later years when we lived in a location that allowed back yard fires, my own family enjoyed them as our traditional New Year's Eve dinner. These we made a bit more complex adding herbs such as thyme and/or rosemary as well as a splash of beer. I recently tried a foil-baked dinner, cooked in the oven, which uses sweet potatoes and chicken as well as other flavorful additions.

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Chicken and Sweet Potato Tin Foil Dinner

Adapted from The Make-Ahead Cook and Cook's Country Magazine
Serves 4

To make sure the chicken cooks evenly, buy breasts of the same size. My butcher offers only enormous pieces of meat, so I chose to use two chicken tenders per foil pack.

5 T olive oil
6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 T grated fresh ginger
1/4 teas red pepper flakes
3/4-1 pound sweet potato, approximately, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
4-8 radishes, trimmed and quartered
2 celery ribs, quartered lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 large red onion, sliced 1/2 inch thick, layers separated
3/4 teas table salt
pepper to taste
4 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (or use equivalent amount tenders)
2 T rice vinegar
2 T minced fresh cilantro, optional

Place oil, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in a small bowl and microwave until garlic beings to brown. In a large bowl combine sweet potato slices, radishes, celery, onion, salt and the garlic oil mix.

Spray the centers of 4 20-inch long pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil (I used regular strength) with vegetable oil spray. 

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with 1/8 teas additional salt and season with pepper.

Place one sheet of foil on the counter and arrange approximately 1/8 (or so) of sweet potato slices in 2 rows. Lay 1 chicken breast or 2 chicken tenders on the sweet potato slices. Place 1/4 of remaining vegetables around the chicken. If you have remaining sweet potatoes place them on top of the chicken. Repeat with remaining 3 sheets of foil. If you have additional oil mix drizzle it on top. Bring the sides of the foil together and crimp tightly, folding the foil over a couple of times. You want to leave some head space in the packs. Crimp the remaining two sides, again leaving as much space as possible while tightly closing the foil.

Refrigerate the packs for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Adjust oven rack to the lowest position and preheat to 475F. Arrange the packs on a rimmed baking sheet and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 20-25 minutes. To check temperature the book recommends poking a hole with an instant read thermometer which will release steam. (Authors also recommend using a second 20 inch piece of foil to wrap over existing pack if the chicken isn't cooked. I can't bring myself to waste that much foil, so I just carefully opened one foil pack, watching for steam, and checked the temperature. With care the foil can be crimped a second time.) Let chicken rest for 3 minutes in foil pack.

Transfer the food to individual dinner places, carefully opening the foil. Drizzle the vinegar over the chicken and vegetables and sprinkle with cilantro. 

Almond Joy Rice Krispy Treats

Now, here's a rice crispy treat for grown-ups. See here for another option.

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Almond Joy Rice Crispy Treats

Source: The America's Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook

1 c sweetened, shredded coconut
1 c sliced or slivered almonds
1/2 c semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (whichever you prefer)
3 T unsalted butter
10 oz marshmallows
1/2 teas vanilla extract
1/4 teas salt
5 c toasted rice crispy cereal

Prepare your pan by coating with cooking spray. A 9x13 pan results in 1-inch-thick treats, and 8x8 yields 2-inch-thick treats. I used an 8x8 in the picture above, but found they were too thick to eat easily. Something in between might be perfect.

Toast coconut and almonds in a large skillet over medium heat until they start to brown and they become fragrant. Shake the pan occasionally. Start checking at 4 or 5 minutes--total time will depend on your stove.

Melt butter in Dutch oven over low heat. Add marshmallows, vanilla, and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth, about 6 minutes. Off heat, stir in cereal, toasted coconut, toasted almonds, and chocolate chips until incorporated. Scrape mixture into prepared pan and press into even layer using greased spatula. Let cool at room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Store in an airtight container, if there are any left to save for later!