Participants sample cranberry-based treats at Stock Culinary Goods on Hope Street during SNA's third annual cook-off.
About 40 people braved a beautiful night Oct. 29 for SNA’s third annual cook-off competition and neighborhood party.
Contrary to the last two years, there was no pouring rain or driving snow at the event, which was held in Stock Culinary Goods on Hope Street.
Cranberries were the unifying ingredient. There were seven entries judged by a panel of local experts, plus a People’s Choice and Halloween costume awards voted on by participants. In addition, there was wine tasting provided by Swan Liquors and olive oil tasting by Olive del Mondo, also Hope Street merchants.
The judges, Jan Faust Dane of Stock, Salvatore Fuccillo of Olive del Mondo and Denise Kammerer of The Sandwich Hut on North Main Street, awarded three prizes: First, to Sandy Kohring for cranberry rollup cookies, a gift certificate to Stock; Second, to Gailia Rutan for cranberry swirl cake, a certificate to Olive del Mondo; Third, to Lizzi Weinberg for cranberry coffee cake, a certificate to Swan.
The People’s Choice award, a gift certificate to Sandwich Hut, went to Anisa Raoof and her sons Dylan and Ethan Itkin for cranberry granola with yogurt. The best costume award, a certificate to Seven Stars bakery, went to three-year-old Bonnie Arrigo, dressed as an owl.
The winning recipes are below.
SNA President Dean Weinberg thanked members Sarah and Anthony Arrigo for organizing the event and encouraged everyone to trick or treat on Hope Street during business hours Thursday, Oct. 31 and to join the Hope Street Holiday Stroll Thursday, Dec. 6, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The evening ended with people lingering to finish off the competition offerings, sip wine or cider and browse the store’s wares. Plans are already afoot to determine next year’s ingredient.
The recipes.
Cranberry rollup cookies
(Makes 5-6 dozen)
Dough ingredients
½ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
Filling ingredients
8 oz. dried cranberries
¼ cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup finely chopped pecans
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon grated orange rind
Directions for filling.
Combine filling ingredients, except grated orange rind, in small saucepan.
Simmer until smooth and quite thick.
Remove from heat and stir in grated orange rind.
Cool to room temperature.
Directions for dough
Cream butter until smooth.
Add sugars and mix well.
Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
Add dry ingredients and blend.
Directions for assembling cookies
On waxed paper, roll dough to 9”x16” rectangle.
Spread cooled filling over dough and roll up tightly.
Use waxed paper to wrap rolled-up cookie dough and refrigerated overnight.
Unwrap and cut into ¼-inch slices.
Bake on parchment paper at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
Serve and eat.
Cranberry Swirl Cake
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
½ cup margarine
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream (can substitute plain yogurt, not Greek)
1 teaspoon almond flavoring
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
½ cup chopped walnuts
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar (sifted)
½ teaspoon almond flavoring
a little milk or coffee cream
Directions
Grease Bundt pan; do NOT flour. Use ingredients at room temperature.
Cream margarine and sugar with mixer; add eggs, one at a time.
Mix dry ingredients, add to sugar and eggs alternately with sour cream. Stir all the way down into mixer bowl to be sure well mixed, then add almond flavoring.
Put a layer of the batter into prepared Bundt pan, then some of cranberry sauce; swirl together a bit and repeat, usually about 3 times.
Top with walnuts.
Bake at 350 degrees about 50-55 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.
Cool thoroughly before icing.
Stir together confectioners’ sugar, remaining almond flavoring and milk or cream to make drizzly icing.
Cranberry coffee cake
Ingredients for filling:
2 cups fresh whole cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Ingredients for crumbs:
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) butter, melted
3 cups all-purpose flour
Ingredients for cake:
2/3 cup sour cream
2 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
Half cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons softened butter, cut into chunks (1 1/2 sticks)
Directions;
Preheat oven to 325 degrees, grease a 9×13-inch glass baking dish.
For filling, toss cranberries with sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Set aside.
For crumbs, whisk sugars, spices and salt into melted butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add flour with spatula or wooden spoon until it looks and feels like solid dough. Leave it pressed together in the bottom of the bowl and set aside.
For cake, stir together sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla in a small bowl. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Add butter and spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Scoop out about 1/2 cup batter and set aside.
Scrape remaining batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle cranberries over batter. Dollop set-aside batter over cranberries; it does not have to be even.
Using fingers, break topping mixture into big crumbs, about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in size, not necessarily uniform, but about that size. Sprinkle over cake.
Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean of batter (it might be moist from cranberries), about 55 minutes. Cool completely before serving.
Cranberry Granola, Vanilla Scented
Makes about 8 cups and can be made 2 weeks ahead.
Ingredients
nonstick vegetable oil spray
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup vegetable oil or coconut oil
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup coconut
¾ cup cranberries
Preparation
Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 300°.
Lightly spray large baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Mix next five ingredients, plus cranberries and coconut, in large bowl.
Combine oil, honey, and sugar in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat.
Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
Pour hot liquid over oat mixture; stir well. Using hands, toss mixture until thoroughly mixed.
Spread granola on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Transfer sheet to rack; cool granola completely.
Store in airtight container at room temperature.
