• Cranberry Orange Buckle

    posted November 8th, 2009  :: Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, The Recipes: :: 

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    I like to hoard cranberries in the fall, since it seems like they totally disappear after the holidays. I’m not sure why more grocers don’t stock them in the freezer section, but I can never seem to find them there.

    Cranberries freeze perfectly so I try to put a few pounds away in the freezer. Every now and then I throw a handful into a strawberry-raspberry smoothie and bake some into muffins and quick breads.

    This recipe comes from Rustic Fruit Desserts,  a cute little book that I first saw at my sister-in-law L’s house last summer. She lives in Portland – lucky duck!- and we celebrated her birthday in July with a beautiful handmade cake from Baker & Spice, owned by co-author Julie Richardson.

    It’s the kind of bakery that you want to live around the corner from, where they make everything in small batches using  great ingredients and local, seasonal produce. How sweet is that!

    I’m not much of a dessert eater and even less of a fussy dessert maker, so this cookbook is just my style. The recipes are all simple to make and rely on whatever fruit happens to be in season.

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    I think my favorite part of this cake is the crunchy top; some of the berries burst open and blend with the sugary vanilla crumbs to make a nice, sweet-tart pop when you take a bite.
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    Cranberry Orange Buckle

    • 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
    • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 5 teaspoons pure vanila extract
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • Grated zest of one orange
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
    • 2 cups (8 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9-inch square baking pan. Pulse the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of the butter, 1/2 cup of the flour, 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 2 teaspoons vanilla in a food processor (or in a bowl using a fork or pastry blender) until coarse crumbs form; set aside for topping. Sift the remaining flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Cream the remaining butter, remaining sugar and orange zest in a bowl with a handheld mixer or in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and reduce mixer speed to low; stir in 1/3 of the flour mixture and half the yogurt. Repeat, ending with the last third of flour. Stir in 1 cup of the cranberries. Scrape the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly and distribute the remaining cranberries over the top. Sprinkle the reserved topping over the cranberries. Bake 45 - 50 minutes on the middle rack, or until light golden brown and top is firm. Yield: 8 -10 servings
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    1. Liza

      November 8, 2009
      10:51 pm

      That looks yummy! We’ll have to make that soon, too.

    2. Emily

      November 9, 2009
      12:17 am

      I want this!

    3. The Runaway Spoon

      November 10, 2009
      4:30 pm

      I am with you – I get a little exicted when the cranberries start showing up. I buy them with wild abandon! In fact, I bought two bags today. I am going to make this buckle for dessert tonight, and enjoy leftovers for breakfast in the morning.

    4. Peyton

      November 11, 2009
      1:03 am

      yummy! i wanna try it soon.

    5. Dianne

      November 11, 2009
      7:37 am

      I’m off to stock up on cranberries today. This looks soooooo yummy!

    6. Lynda

      November 11, 2009
      6:39 pm

      This is right up my alley. I love the combination of cranberries and orange in a not-too-sweet cake. The topping adds a nice touch, too.

    7. Bites from other Blogs | That's Cooking!

      November 12, 2009
      6:31 am

      [...] often make a Cranberry Orange Bread for the holiday season and I like the idea of a Cranberry Orange Buckle, which Family Style Food made as more of a comfort food take on the flavor matchup. This buckle is [...]

    8. tracieMoo

      November 13, 2009
      2:08 am

      This buckle does look very pretty with the red striking cranberries. It’s too tempting to just look at. I would love to make some of these :)

    9. Smalltown Mom

      November 30, 2009
      6:53 pm

      We made this on Sunday. It was incredibly good!

    10. Lady Amalthea

      February 14, 2011
      12:09 pm

      I can usually find frozen cranberries year-round at Whole Foods. This buckle looks like a great breakfast as well!

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