An Exotic Treat in the Mail

I received a lovely treat in the mail!

These lovely goodies came from Wholesale Nuts And Dried Fruit, sellers of bulk nut and dried fruit (obviously!).

They look and smell so good, popping with flavor. But what should I make? I toyed with the idea of fruitcake, which I've been thinking about ever since I read about Mama Pea's fruitcake. Dan, however, firmly states he doesn't like fruitcake, so I thought, well, why not start with small bites and see what he thinks. So here they are...

Fruitcake Cookies

• 1 pound dried fruit
• 6 ounces chopped nuts
• ¼ cup apple juice*
• ½ pound soft butter
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ cup white sugar
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2⅔ cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 large egg

The night before, set the dried fruit to soak in the apple juice. Next morning, blend the butter and sugar, add and mix in the egg. Gradually stir in flour, soda, salt, and ginger. Mix in the fruit and soaking liquid. Mix in the nuts. Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 3 doz.

*Traditional recipes call for brandy, rum, etc., but you can use any fruit juice you choose. Orange is common, but I used apple to keep the flavors of the cherries and mango true.

The verdict? Winner! So good. I think it was the dried, rather than candied, fruit that made these a success.

If you're looking for a nice variety of dried fruits and nuts, or are looking to do some stocking up or adding some special treats to your prepper pantry, you can check out Wholesale Nuts And Dried Fruit for yourself, just click on that link.

An Exotic Treat in the Mail © September 2020

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

Cranberry Apple Pie

I tried to grow cranberries a number of year's ago. They were called American Cranberries and didn't require a bog, so I thought they would be prefect for cranberry treats around the holidays. They didn't make it, unfortunately, along with a number of other plants I've tried over the years, plants that might be considered exotic for our area, such as a potted olive tree and rhubarb. But we love cranberries, so I like to keep a bulk supply in my pantry.

Dried cranberries - moist and sweet.

These came from a company I recently learned of which specializes in wholesale bulk - Gourmet Nuts and Fruit. Yes, they only sell nuts and dried fruits! They sell mostly at farmer's markets and online, and have good prices and good service. From their blog I learned that cranberries are antioxident, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory. (Actually lots of excellent nutritional information there). So eat more cranberries, right? I think this pie is one way to do it!

Cranberry Apple Pie

Crust 

• For a 9" pie (my recipe here, except I used rendered goat fat)

Filling

• 5 cups peeled sliced apples
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Plus

• About 2 tbsp butter

Roll out dough for pie pan. Mix filling ingredients and fill bottom crust. Cut butter into small pieces and dot filling. Add top crust and bake at 450°F (230°C) for 40 minutes or until done.

Colorful, festive, and delicious - all excellent qualities for a holiday pie.

We also like dried cranberries in spinach or broccoli salads with pecans or almonds. And they pair well with pumpkin or sweet potatoes, and I thought I had my "Sweet Potato Cranberry Bread" recipe on my Recipes Page, but I see I don't. No matter, that's the perfect excuse to make some.

Anyone care to share your favorite recipes for dried cranberries?

Cranberry Apple Pie © Dec 2017 by Leigh

at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

HINT: They All Have Pennsylvania in Common

What do a wedding, Amish made cabinets, and a food outlet have in common? Well, it's not the kind of riddle one can answer without knowing the background. Why? Because they were all part of a recent whirlwind trip we took to Pennsylvania.

The wedding was our son's .....


The Amish made cabinets? Well, the morning of the wedding we were invited to join the bride's family at an area restaurant, Shady Maple Smorgasbord. I have to tell you, if you are ever in Lancaster County, PA, this place is an absolute must. It's pricey, but we went for breakfast (the most reasonable meal) and wow was I ever impressed: made-to-order omelets, chocolate chip pancakes, fresh blueberry pancakes, baked French toast, baked oatmeal, Dutch fried potatoes, out of this world fresh fruit, cream filled pastries with real ingredients (butter, cream), etc. You get the idea.

They also have a farm market, which we didn't visit, and a gift shop, which we did. It was huge! And filled with every conceivable souvenir, collectible, gift, card, hand crafted and home decor item you can possibly imagine. I never thought I could spend several hours in a gift shop, but we did, easily. After pondering stained glass, music boxes, cookbooks, postcards, music boxes, stuffed toys (I love bunnies, DH likes opossums), quilts, and baskets, we finally found our way to the furniture section and settled on the two cabinets pictured here. You can click on either photo to "biggify."

These are not "regular" kitchen cabinets, but they are just the inspiration I need for planning my dream kitchen (current kitchen here.) They are unfinished pine, and so can be stained or painted if we choose. All that to be determined once the kitchen plants begin to take shape.

The food outlet was a Golden Barrel retail outlet. This was one of those impulsive stops (oddly, I was the only one with the impulse, the sign said bulk molasses and oils, so I had to go see! Fortunately the groom, best man, and my husband were happy tag along.) The store wasn't very big, but the prices for the things I wanted were excellent.

$8 for a gallon of blackstrap molasses (I use it in bread and gingerbread), $7 for a gallon of canola oil (also for bread), and $11.50 for a half gallon of extra virgin olive oil (for everything else which requires oil except frying, which I don't do much of anyway.).

Now wish I'd gotten a pint of sorghum too. I did get a brochure and they do mail order, but I find that shipping and handling usually knock an item out of the bargain box. :( I may just send DS and DDIL on a shopping trip next time they go visit her parents!

HINT: They All Have Pennsylvania in Common copyright 

August 2009 by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/