Nutcase Cranberry-Apricot Bread
1 cup pecan halves
1? cups dried cranberries
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (? stick), at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
6
1
/
3
cups all-purpose flour (high altitude: add 3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons baking powder (high altitude: 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon)
? teaspoon baking soda
2? teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest, finely chopped
Using a wide skillet and stirring frequently, toast the pecans over medium-low heat until they turn a slightly darker brown and begin to emit a nutty smell, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove to a cutting board, cool, and chop. Set aside.
Bring 3 cups of spring or tap water to a boil. Place the cranberries and apricots in a large bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let stand 15 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
Butter and flour three 8?-inch by 4?-inch glass loaf pans. Set aside.
Cream the butter with the sugar until well blended. (Mixture will look like wet sand.) Add the eggs and beat well. Sift the remaining dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture alternately to the creamed mixture with the orange juice, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir in the fruits, nuts, and zest, blending well. Divide the mixture evenly among the pans. Allow to stand for 20 minutes.
While the mixture is standing, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the breads for 45 to 55 minutes, or until toothpicks inserted in the loaves come out clean. Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then allow to cool completely on racks.
Totally Unorthodox Coeur a la Creme
2? cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pecan Crust (recipe follows)
1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed, patted dry, hulled, and halved
1 pound fresh blueberries, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup apricot preserves
? cup spring water
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes.
In another large mixing bowl, beat the mascarpone on low speed just until blended. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat only until well blended.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture.
Cut a piece of 2-ply cheesecloth large enough to line a large strainer or large coeur a la creme mold (the kind made with holes in the bottom, so the mixture can drain), with enough cheesecloth left over to fold up over the combined mixture.
Wet the cheesecloth and wring it out. Line the strainer or mold with the cheesecloth.
Gently spoon the mixture into the lined strainer or mold. Fold the ends of the cheesecloth up over the mixture. Suspend the strainer or mold over a bowl and put into the refrigerator. Allow to drain overnight.
To assemble the coeur, make the Pecan Crust and allow to cool completely. Spoon the chilled and drained mascarpone mixture into the cooled crust. (You may cover the coeur with plastic wrap at this point and chill up to four hours.)
Just before serving time, arrange the strawberries and blueberries in rows on top of the mascarpone mixture.
Place any leftover berries in a bowl to pass.
Pecan Crust
1? cups pecan halves
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons confections’ sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
In a large saute pan, toast the pecans over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until they emit a nutty scent, about 10 to 15 minutes. Place the nuts on paper towels to cool. As soon as they are cool enough to touch, place the nuts on a cutting board and roughly chop.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch glass pan well.
Sift the flour with the confectioners’ sugar into a large bowl. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the melted butter and pecans. Pat the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the edges of the crust begin to brown. Place on a rack to cool completely before filling.
