Story Photos
 Photo by Roger Werth Kelso resident Mary Simonson proudly displays the October-November issue of Light and Tasty magazine, which features he recipe for cranberry cheesecake. Her tasty treat even made the cover. |
A cranberry nice surprise
Wednesday, October 5, 2005 8:58 AM PDT
By Cathy Zimmerman
Printable version
E-mail this articleShe had never entered a cooking contest before, but when Mary Simonson of Kelso was leafing through an issue of Light and Tasty magazine last winter, she noticed a contest for cranberry recipes.
"It just caught my attention," said Simonson, the health and fitness director at the YMCA in Longview.
She sent in her recipe for cheesecake -- a lighter version -- topped with a cranberry concoction brightened with ginger, orange rind and lemon juice.
Simonson has made the cranberry sauce every Thanksgiving for 11 years, she said. She first topped off the cheesecake with it for a Christmas in her home town of Spokane.
"I thought I'd sneak in something kind of light, and then make it festive."
The colorful dessert pleased her family -- and the editors of the magazine, a niche publication of the Taste of Home network.
In June, the magazine contacted Simonson to inform her she'd taken second place and won $400.
Even better was the day the magazine arrived. There on the cover was the cheesecake.
"I said 'Maryka! Maryka!' -- that's my daughter --- 'I made the cover!' I was bouncing around."
Already a high-energy redhead, Simonson still gets excited to see her cake, photographed on a lace tablecloth, in the glossy, Oct.-Nov. issue.
Other winning recipes in the cranberry contest include the grand prize, a Cran-Apple Tea Ring, a Calico Cranberry Couscous Salad in third place, and Crimson Cranberry Punch in fourth.
The magazine is full of tempting fall dishes, many ripe for Thanksgiving lists: check out the cranberry tart and some beautiful pumpkin recipes, including a cinnamon pumpkin bundt cake and a gingersnap pumpkin cheesecake.
Here's Simonson's winner, and a few other recipes for cranberries, one of Washington State's tastiest natural resources. And don't forget Simonson's cranberry topping on turkey day.
CRANBERRY CHEESECAKE
Prep: 40 minutes
Bake: 65 minutes plus chilling time
Yield: 16 servings
9 while cinnamon graham crackers, crushed
1 tablespoon plus 1 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 packages (8 ounces each) reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed
1 package (8 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, cubed
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
3 egg whites, beaten
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
Topping
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Combine cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar and melted butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan coated with non-stick cooking spray. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
In a bowl, beat the cream cheeses, sour cream and remaining sugar until smooth. Add egg whites; beat on low until combined.
Stir in lemon juice and extracts. Pour into crust. Place pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Wrap foil around outside of pan. Place in a larger baking pan, and pour hot water into the larger pan until it goes 1 inch up the sides.
Bake for 55-60 minutes or until center is just set. Remove from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen cake; cool 1 hour longer.Remove foil and chill overnight.
In a saucepan, combine first five topping ingredients; bring to a boil. Add berries. Cook over medium heat until berries pop, about 10 minutes. Stir in pecans. Cool.
Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
Remove sides of springform pan. Spoon topping over cheesecake to within 1 inch of the edge, (leaving an outer ring of cheesecake visible).
Nutritional analysis: 1 slice, 1/16 of cake: 269 calories; 11 g fat (6 saturated), 31 mg cholesterol, 294 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 7 g protein.
Diabetic exchanges: 2 starch, 2 fat.
CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH PEARS AND CARDAMOM
1 cup frozen cranberry juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups chopped, peeled firm but ripe Bartlett pears (1/3-inch pieces)
1 package cranberries, 12 ounces
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
Combine cranberry juice concentrate with sugar in a heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Mix in remaining ingredients. Simmer until pears are tender and cranberries burst, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool completely, then chill thoroughly.
Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.
Makes about 4 cups.
---- Bon Appetit, November 1998
CRANBERRY COFFEE CAKE
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries (8 ounces)
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup whole milk
Garnish: confectioners sugar
Special equipment: a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan
Makes 6 to 8 servings. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pulse cranberries with 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a food processor until finely chopped (do not purée). Transfer to a sieve and let drain while making batter.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Beat together butter and remaining 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes with a standing mixer or about 8 minutes with a handheld.
Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour and mixing until just incorporated.
Spread one third of batter evenly in well-buttered loaf pan, then spoon half of drained cranberries evenly over batter, leaving a 1/2-inch border along sides. Top with another third of batter and remaining cranberries, leaving a 1/2-inch border along sides, then cover with remaining batter. Bake in middle of oven until golden brown and a tester inserted in center comes out without crumbs, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes.
Invert cake onto rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Coffee cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely, then store in a cake keeper or wrapped in foil at room temperature. If desired, warm in a 350°F oven 15 minutes before serving.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
--- Gourmet Entertains, February 2003
CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH PORT AND DRIED FIGS
1 2/3 cups ruby Port
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
8 dried black Mission figs, stemmed, chopped
1 6-inch-long sprig fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
Combine first 6 ingredients in medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Discard rosemary. Mix in cranberries and 3/4 cup sugar. Cook over medium heat until liquid is slightly reduced and berries burst, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Cool. Transfer sauce to bowl; chill until cold. (Cranberry sauce can be prepared 1 week ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
Makes about 3 1/2 cups.
--- Bon Appétit, November 2001
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