Holiday Baking : The Sweet Things in Life

Why do the holidays fall around the end of the year?

Simple--nobody in their right mind wants to fire up an oven in August. But by the same token, the closer we get to the holiday season, the more the idea of raising the kitchen temperature seems tolerable, even comforting.

And how about this? It’s precisely during the holidays that we crave baked goods: pies, tarts, cookies, puddings, breads! What we have here is obviously the “Great Harmony of Life” (as long as we don’t overdo it, and remember to floss later).

How do you make plain old apple pie even richer and more wonderful than it already is? Give it a topping made of sour cream and streusel.

APPLE-SOUR CREAM PIE

5 tart apples, peeled and sliced

1 cup golden raisins

2 tablespoons minced candied ginger

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust

1 cup sour cream

Brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

Flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup butter

3 tablespoons toasted chopped walnuts

Toss together apples, raisins and ginger. Arrange in pie crust.

Combine sour cream, 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, egg and vanilla. Pour over apples.

Bake at 400 degrees 25 minutes. Combine butter, 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar and walnuts. Sprinkle over top of pie to cover evenly.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake 45 to 55 minutes or until apples are tender. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

816 calories; 503 mg sodium; 89 grams cholesterol; 42 grams fat; 106 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; .7 grams fiber; 46% calories from fat.

This gorgeous tart, from the new book “Baking With Jim Dodge” is for everybody who loves fruit pies that are not too sweet.

JIM DODGE’S CRANBERRY CRUMB TART

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold

1 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup flour

3 tablespoons whipping cream

Cranberry Filling

Crumb Topping

Cut butter into 1-inch cubes. Place in mixer bowl with sugar, kosher salt and flour. Using paddle attachment, blend at low speed until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add whipping cream and mix until dough comes together.

On slightly floured surface roll dough into 13-inch circle. Fold into quarters and lift into 10- or 9-inch tart pan. Unfold circle carefully and settle into pan, being sure dough reaches into corners. Gently press dough against sides of pan.

Fold overlapping dough into pan just to where sides and bottom meet, to form double-thick sides. Gently press dough against sides of pan, being careful not to press against bottom. (If too thin where sides meet bottom, dough will split during baking.) Trim off extra dough by running rolling pin around top edge. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes.

Line tart shell with heavy foil, covering edges as well as bottom. With fork pierce holes all over bottom of shell, through both foil and dough. Hold fork straight down so tines do not tear large holes in dough. Bake at 400 degrees until inside of shell looks pale but no longer raw (lift foil and look), 15 to 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until shell is golden brown and has pulled away from sides of pan, about 15 minutes more.

Spoon Cranberry Filling into tart shell, mounding slightly in center. Spoon Crumb Topping over berries. Do not press topping into fruit. Bake tart until topping is golden brown and fruit bubbles around edges, about 40 minutes. Serve at room temperature. Makes 10 servings.

Cranberry Filling

6 cups cranberries

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Wash and towel dry cranberries. Discard any bad ones. Combine sugar with salt and toss with cranberries to coat.

Crumb Topping

3/4 unsalted butter, cold

1 1/4 cups bread flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

Cut butter into 1-inch cubes. Using paddle attachment on electric mixer, mix butter, flour and sugar at medium-low speed just until mixture forms large clumps that crumble when pinched. Do not overmix.

Each serving contains about:

496 calories; 338 mg sodium; 56 grams cholesterol; 21 grams fat; 77 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; .7 grams fiber; 37% calories from fat.

Even people who don’t like persimmons--and they are legion--love this persimmon pudding. It is dark, moist and spicy, with a flavor that is almost medieval in its intensity. The pudding can be made ahead and reheated; it can even be frozen.

MARION CUNNINGHAM’S STEAMED PERSIMMON PUDDING

1 cup persimmon puree, about 3 skinned persimmons

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons rum

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup broken walnuts or pecans

1 cup raisins

Unsweetened whipped cream

Fill kettle large enough to hold 2-quart pudding mold with enough water to come halfway up sides of mold. (Mold must have lid or be snugly covered with foil while steaming. Coffee can with plastic lid works well. Place rack or Mason jar ring on bottom of kettle to allow water to circulate freely while pudding is steaming. Grease mold and place in water. Let water come to boil over medium heat.

Place persimmon puree in small bowl and stir in baking soda. Set aside (mixture will become quite stiff).

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, lemon juice and rum and beat well. Add flour, cinnamon and salt and stir to blend. Add persimmon mixture. Beat until well mixed. Stir in nuts and raisins.

Spoon batter into mold, cover and steam 2 hours. Remove from kettle and let stand 5 minutes. Turn onto rack to cool, or cool briefly and serve warm. Serve with unsweetened whipped cream. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

527 calories; 375 mg sodium; 52 grams cholesterol; 27 grams fat; 70 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 1 grams fiber; 45% calories from fat.

This is a seductive cross between candy and cookies, and sure to please almost everybody. Do be sure to use the right size pan, or the caramel will drip into your oven and smoke.

BURNT ALMOND BARS

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

Topping

3 cups blanched, sliced almonds

Combine butter and sugar and beat until well blended and creamy. Add egg, salt and vanilla and beat until mixed. Add flour and continue mixing until completely blended.

With fingers press and pat dough into 15x10-inch jellyroll pan, spreading evenly over bottom. Build up sides slightly. Bake at 375 degrees 15 minutes or until set then remove from oven to cool slightly.

Spread slightly cooled Topping over dough and sprinkle almonds evenly on top. Bake at 350 degrees 15 to 18 minutes or until almonds are golden. Cut in squares while warm. Makes 48.

Topping

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 cup butter, softened

Combine sugar and lemon juice in heavy saucepan or skillet. Stir over low heat until sugar is completely melted and golden brown. Stir in whipping cream and butter and let mixture boil. (Mixture will harden at first, but soon will melt and blend with liquid.) Stir until smooth. Cool.

Each serving contains about:

207 calories; 107 mg sodium; 28 grams cholesterol; 14 grams fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.2 grams fiber; 62% calories from fat.

This tart, from “The Fannie Farmer Baking Book,” is one of the most sophisticated and unusual pastries you will ever taste. The pears are poached in red wine, absorbing both the color and the flavor of the wine, so that when you cut into the tart, you find magenta fruit hiding beneath the beautiful yellow crust.

RICK O’CONNELL’S PEAR-AND-POLENTA TART

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup butter, chilled

3 eggs yolks

2 to 3 tablespoons water

Poached Pears

Place flour, cornmeal, salt and sugar in large mixing bowl or food processor bowl. Stir together with fork or wire whisk, or pulse processor several times.

Cut butter into small bits and drop into flour mixture. Using fingertips, rub flour mixture and butter together just until mixture resembles grated Parmesan cheese. If using food processor, pulse several times with metal blade.

Beat egg yolks and 2 tablespoons water together. Stir into dough and mix well. If dough does not hold together, add remaining tablespoon of water by drops. If using food processor, after adding egg yolks, process just until dough forms ball and whirls around on top of blade, about 30 seconds, adding water by drops if needed.

Gather together and form dough into small cake. (Dough does not need chilling before forming and baking.)

Divide dough into 2 pieces and set 1 piece aside while rolling out other. Place 2 sheets wax paper on work surface, then sprinkle with flour. Place dough on wax paper, sprinkle some flour on top of dough, cover with 2 more sheets of wax paper and roll dough out to circle 10 or 11 inches wide, depending on whether tart is to be made in 9- or 10-inch tart pan, pie pan or flan ring set on baking sheet. (Dough should be about 1/4-inch thick.) Peel paper off top of dough, transfer dough to pan, flip over and remove remaining paper. If dough tears, patch with fingers.

Arrange Poached Pears, cut side down, in concentric circle on dough, and place 1 or 2 halves in center of dough to fill space. Roll out remaining dough to same size between sheets of floured wax paper, transfer to pan in same manner, draping dough over pears. Trim edges of dough and seal together.

Bake tart at 375 degrees 35 to 40 minutes, or until just lightly browned. Remove tart and let cool slightly on rack. If using removable-bottom tart pan or flan ring, unmold tart just before serving. Makes 8 servings.

Poached Pears

5 or 6 pears, depending on size

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups red or white wine

1 whole clove

1 stick cinnamon

Peel pears, halve and remove cores.

Combine sugar, wine, clove and cinnamon stick in large skillet. Bring just to boil. Simmer, partially covered, about 5 minutes.

Add halved pears. Add enough water to completely cover pears with liquid. Keep pears just below simmer, so liquid is not actually bubbling, 10 to 20 minutes, or until pears are tender when pierced with knife. Remove from heat. Cool pears in liquid at least 2 hours, or up to several days in refrigerator.

Each serving contains about:

639 calories; 317 mg sodium; 164 grams cholesterol; 26 grams fat; 88 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 2 grams fiber; 37% calories from fat.

A bread with a totally unique flavor. It has a pungence that makes it taste--and smell--as if cheese were one of the main ingredients. Be warned, however, that the starter is so aromatic it is likely to drive people out of your kitchen.

MARION CUNNINGHAM’S SALT-RISING BREAD

1 1/2 cups milk

Salt-Rising Starter

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

10 cups all-purpose flour, about

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

6 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Heat milk until comfortably warm to finger. Add to Salt-Rising Starter along with baking soda and 3 1/2 cups flour. Beat briskly until smooth (hand rotary beater helps to smooth out lumps).

Cover with plastic wrap and place in large bowl of hot water. Set in warm place until sponge is doubled, creamy and light in appearance, about 2 to 3 hours. (Check after 1 1/2 hours. Don’t allow to sit longer after creamy and light or sponge will lose “cheesy” flavor and become sour.)

Place 4 cups flour in large bowl. Add salt and mix lightly with fork. Drop in shortening and blend with fingers, as though making pie dough, until well mixed. Pour in sponge and mix with enough additional flour to make soft, manageable dough, about 2 to 3 cups.

Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead 1 to 2 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes. Resume kneading until smooth (dough will be heavy and putty-like), about 10 minutes.

Divide into thirds and shape each piece into loaf. Place in greased 9x5-inch loaf pans. Cover with plastic wrap, set pans in larger pan of hot water, and again set in warm place to rise. Final rise will take about 3 hours, and loaves should increase in volume by about 1/3.

Bake at 350 degrees 45 to 55 minutes, until golden brown. If in doubt, bake several minutes longer rather than underbake. Turn out of pans and cool on rack. Makes 3 loaves, 10 slices per loaf.

Salt-Rising Starter

2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced thin

1 quart boiling water

1/4 cup non-degerminated cornmeal, such as stone-ground

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Place potatoes in large bowl, pour boiling water over, then stir in cornmeal, sugar and salt. Place bowl in larger bowl of hot water and set in warm place where temperature remains fairly steady, such as gas oven with pilot light on or electric oven with interior light on, or on top of water heater. Replace hot water 2 or 3 times, or whenever convenient, over next 24 hours. Remove potato slices before using.

Each serving (1 slice) contains about:

196 calories; 210 mg sodium; 3 grams cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; .04 grams fiber; 16% calories from fat.

Freshly ground flour gives this bread a soft, tender texture and fresh flavor. Most flour you buy at the store has been processed to remove the hull of the wheat kernel, which is high in fiber; the bran, which is rich in Vitamin B and minerals; and the germ, which is high in oil. The component of primary interest is the starchy endosperm. It is common practice, in manufacturing, to add the vitamins and minerals to the endosperm. This is known as enrichment, which is unnecessary when you use whole-wheat flour .

With the proper appliances, whole-wheat kernels can be ground up as needed ; that way oxidation won’t make them go rancid.

TERESA BIRMINGHAM’S FOUR-SEED BREAD

1 tablespoon dough enhancer

5 cups warm water

2/3 cup oil

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup honey

1 rounded tablespoon malt (make from sprouted wheat, dry and powder)

1/2 teaspoon Dr. Brenner’s barley-malt sweetener

1/4 cup gluten

1 tablespoon salt

3 tablespoons dry yeast

Whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 cups sunflower seeds

2 cups millet (dry, or may be presoaked few hours)

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup poppy seeds

Combine dough enhancer, warm water, oil, molasses, honey, malt, barley-malt sweetener, gluten, salt and yeast in mixer bowl. Beat until smooth. Slowly work in 2 1/2 cups flour, sunflower seeds, millet, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Add enough additional flour to make soft dough.

Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead 8 to 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed. Shape into 5 to 6 loaves and place in lightly greased 9x5-inch loaf pans.

Preheat oven, then turn off (temperature should be about 150 degrees). Place loaves in oven and let rise until 1 inch above edge of pan to crown of loaf. (Let rise without moving loaves.) Turn oven to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes. Makes 5 to 6 loaves.

Here’s a quick bread that is simple, delicious and thoroughly festive. And it comes with a surprise hidden inside of the loaf.

MARBLED DATE-FIG BREAD

1 cup cut-up dates

1/2 cup cut-up figs

1 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons butter or shortening

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Combine dates and figs in bowl. Pour boiling water over fruit, then stir in baking soda. Allow mixture to stand until water cools to room temperature.

Cream butter and brown sugar until light. Beat in egg, vanilla and salt. Stir in flour until combined. Fold in cheese cubes.

Spoon batter into greased 9x5-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle nuts evenly over top. Bake at 350 degrees 1 hour or until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 1 loaf.