Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa with Whipped Cream Cheese

In spite of all of the attention the turkey, the sides, and the desserts get on Thanksgiving Day, the unsung heroes of the day might just be the appetizers. Especially if the time between your expected arrival and when dinner is actually served can be as much as two or three hours. If you have ever starved yourself all morning in anticipation of not showing any restraint with how much food you put on your plate, you know waiting an hour in a house filled with intoxicating Thanksgiving aromas is a form of torture. And in spite of what myths or old wives tales you have been told, appetizers don't alway spoil your appetite. They actually keep you from acting as if you have never seen food before. In other words, appetizers enable you to demonstrate enviable social graces and the table manners every Emily Post-esq etiquette teacher in the world would be proud of.

In decades of either making or being invited to Thanksgiving dinners, I somehow managed to never come across Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa with Whipped Cream Cheese. I learned there was such a thing last week while I was getting my hair cut. Had I not asked my hair stylist what she was bringing to her family Thanksgiving dinner, who knows how long, or if ever for that matter, it be before I ever tasted the New England meets the Southwest Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa. The idea of this salsa was so intriguing, I began looking for recipes the moment I arrived home. I discovered I clearly have been living a salsa sheltered life, as there were literally hundreds of Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa recipes out there. After reviewing about a dozen of them (as exhaustive as a search as was needed), I realized I had enough information to decide how much heat and sweet I wanted my Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa to have. I also knew it wouldn't be one served slathered over a cream cheese log as I am a big believer in 'everyone should decide just how much cream cheese and just how much salsa they want' spread on their crackers. But there was another compelling reason. How many time have you arrived late to a gathering only to find that all of the good stuff put on top of the cream cheese had been scraped away? Even if it has only happened to you once, you remember wondering what you had missed out on.

For years I, along with Ina Garten, had not been a big fan of cilantro. Whether my palate is changing or not, I have finally seen the cilantro light. However, if you are already a big fan of this herb, you are going to love this Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa. But if you have been a cilantro hold-out like me, this salsa might be enough to convert you. 

With so many cranberry dishes vying for attention on Thanksgiving Day, why would any one consider adding one more? Because everyone needs at least one savory cranberry option to offset all of the sweet versions being served. But don't let me pigeon-hole this salsa into a 'make only on Thanksgiving Day' appetizer. No. It's one that should be made as often as possible while fresh cranberries are in season.

While perusing Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa recipes, every single one of them was made entirely in the food processor. Being concerned the cranberries would be over processed and the resulting salsa would be more mush than textured, I went with the 'pulse the cranberries in the food processor until coarsely chopped and dice/finely dice everything else route'. 

After the mixture macerated in the refrigerator overnight, I knew the extra chopping time was worth it. Sometimes a little more work makes all the difference in the world. 

Depending on how much heat you like, you will want to use either one or two jalapeños as well as decide whether or not to keep or scrape out the seeds. I used one large jalapeño and didn't throw away the seeds. As someone who isn't the biggest of fan of too spicy, the salsa turned out to have the right kind of spicy. In other words, consider keeping the seeds.

Many of the Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa recipes I looked at called for adding lemon juice. Some called for lime juice and then others gave the either/or option. My so-called logic for choosing lime juice over lemon juice was due in to large part to associating salsa with margaritas. Since the classic margarita is made with lime juice, then it seemed only natural this salsa would be made with lime juice rather than lemon juice. 

To optimize the salsa's flavor, it needs to be refrigerated for at least four hours or overnight. I patiently waited almost 24 hours before giving it the 'taste' test. 

As it turned out, the wait was definitely worth it. 

The combination of the cool, creamy cream cheese with the flavors of the sweet/spicy salsa is a match made in heaven appetizer. I will even go so far as to say it's a little on the addictive side. Seriously. Or could it be I am so late to the Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa party I wanted to make up for lost time? Well, yes I was most definitely late, but this happens to be one of those 'hard to eat in moderation' salsas.

When serving Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa just make certain your whipped cream cheese is creamy and spreadable. If you whip up your own cream cheese (from blocks of cream cheese allowed to soften slightly), wait until you are ready to serve to get our your mixer. Or buy the always creamy in the tub cream cheese. 

For turning me on to this Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa with Whipped Cream Cheese I am going to think long and hard about a worthy Christmas present for my hair stylist. Although how to you thank someone for telling you about a 'wow on the platter and even bigger wow on your palate' appetizer you never knew even existed? Maybe something will come to me while I nosh my way through numerous batches of salsa over the next several weeks.

Recipe
Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa with Whipped Cream Cheese (inspired from multiple sources)

Ingredients
12 ounces fresh cranberries
1-2 Jalapeños (with seeds), finely diced (I used one large Jalapeño)
4 green onions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
2 1/2 ounce bunch of fresh cilantro, stems removed, finely chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from 1 large or 2 small limes)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
16 ounces of cream cheese, whipped (or a 16 ounce tub of the creamy vs block cream cheese)
Assorted crackers and/or nacho chips

Directions
1. Place cranberries in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer cranberries to a medium sized bowl.
2. Mix in the jalapeños, onions, sugar, salt, and lime juice. Stir until blended.
3. Add in cilantro. Stir until combined.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer mixture to tightly sealed jars and store in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight. 
5. When ready to serve, place cranberry jalapeño salsa in a small bowl. Place whipped cream cheese in a separate bowl. 
6. Arrange bowls on a serving tray and surround with crackers. Serve immediately.

Notes: (1) To whip cream cheese, allow blocks of cream cheese to soften slightly. Whip with a hand mixer. Alternately buy already whipped cream cheese. (2) Some prefer to serve the Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa over a log of the cream cheese, however, depending on how long the appetizer sits out, the cream cheese will become saturated with the salsa liquid. (3) Many recipes for the Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa called for all of the ingredients to processed in the food processor. I think chopping the Jalapeños, green onions, and cilantro separately ensures the cranberries to do get finely chopped. (4) If you don't want the added heat from the seeds of the Jalapeños, scrape them out before finely dicing

Silos and farms in southern Wisconsin (November 2017)

Thanksgiving Round-Up: The Desserts

Thanksgiving, my most favorite holiday, is just a week away. Usually at this time of the year I am asking my sister what she would like to bring for dinner. Even though I am the older sister, I don't get to host both the Thanksgiving and Christmas family celebrations. Maybe if she didn't like to cook as much as I do, I could have finagled having both of them. But she does. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving we share these holidays. For the past who knows how many years, I have been assigned a supporting role (not always an easy thing to do when you are a borderline Type A/Type A+ personality). But this year both of us will be traveling, so there won't be that usual back and forth conversation about what I should bring. Nor will I be making the gravy for the turkey (the one thing I actually do better than my sister). As much as I am going to miss being together as a family this year, I am very much looking forward to this year's Thanksgiving. Other than saying we will be spending it with the Pilgrims, I will wait until after the holiday to share our adventures. 

Last year I posted two Thanksgiving Round-Up links: Desserts and Sides. The desserts shared were some of my favorite holiday desserts, ones invariably showing up at our holiday dinner over the years. They included: Brûléed Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Swirl , a Lemon Meringue Tart, Brown Butter Pumpkin Spice Cake,  Pumpkin Squares, Chocolate Mousse Cake with Raspberry Sauce,  Applesauce Spice Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting,  Mocha Chocolate Chip Icebox Cake, and the French Laundry's Cranberry and Apple Kuchen with Hot Cream Sauce. But rather than just repost last year's dessert lisk, I thought I would share some of the dessert recipes I made during the past year. Desserts I would say definitely fall into the Thanksgiving Dessert worthy category. So now instead of eight desserts to choose from, you now have seventeen! Not including the ones traditionally made for your Thanksgiving dinners or ones you have discovered for yourself this past year. Only one of desserts listed this year requires you to serve warm from the oven. All of the others can be made at least a day in advance. Wherever and whoever you spend your Thanksgiving holiday with this year, may it be one where giving and gratefulness are even more important than the desserts.

Cranberry Streusel Bundt Cake

Pear Cake with Caramel Sauce

Versunkener Apfelkuchen (Sunken Apple Cake)

Apple Crisp

Apple and Olive Oil Cake with Maple Icing

Cheesecake with Berries

Fruit Trifle with Candied Almonds

Chocolate Cake with Ganache Icing

Glazed Poppy Seed Cake

Chocolate Dipped Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Cookies

After indulging in an 'unusual for me' amount of alcohol this past weekend, I should probably not be baking cookies. Especially these cookies. Peanut butter dipped in chocolate ones. Although truth be told, I had intended on making these cookies for our girls getaway trip, but time got away from me. There are many things my running friends and I have in common. Our love of a peanut butter and chocolate combination is just one of them. Only I knew I had planned on surprising everyone with some home baked cookies, so there was a bit of lingering 'should have' guilt hanging over me. I tried to assuage this guilt by saying to myself 'we had more food than we needed, at least I made the Spinach Dip and English Oat Crackers, and maybe these cookies would not have paired well with or even be remembered after a night of drinking wine, beer and shots' (definitely a combination I wasn't certain I could handle). None of these rationalizations (or rather excuses) made me feel any better, so I made them as a post-getaway trip treat instead. Convincing myself they would make for a great cross-training workout recovery snack. Rationalizing of course that peanut butter and chocolate are a healthier option than let's say three kinds of alcohol consumed in a single night (can you tell I must be getting old if that is how I think?).

Next to chocolate chip cookies, there may be no more iconic cookie than the Peanut Butter Cookie. Most us remember or have made the peanut butter cookies cross-hatched with a fork or the ones topped with Hershey's kiss. One of both of these from our childhood kinds of cookies would have left a permanent imprint on our peanut butter cookie loving hearts. And more than likely most of us have remained true to whatever recipe was handed down from the family member who made them for us. So it might almost be considered a crime if we were to deviate from a deeply loved, cherished family recipe or even abandon it. But sometimes an even better version of this classic cookie comes along. Even still, we have no reason to give up what we believe are the best peanut butter cookies we had ever tasted. But Stella Parks, author of the new cookbook "Bravetart: Iconic American Desserts" has given us one. A recipe that without a doubt refines 'best ever'. And a version that had our mothers or grandmothers known about, they would have been making. 

Peanut butter cookies made with honey-roasted peanuts may not seem like anything new, but pulsing the peanuts with the flour to make a 'peanut flour' is (at least in my world). When I saw the recipe for these Honey-Roasted Peanut Butter Cookies, I knew I did not want to tinker with it. And I didn't. However, dipping the cookies in melted milk chocolate would be my variation to her recipe. Not because the cookies by themselves weren't going to be good enough (they were better than good enough, they were wicked good). But because my palate would be wondering 'where's the jelly or where's the chocolate' if I gave it a peanut butter cookie. But that's just me. And hopefully it's some of you too!

This is one of those cookie recipes where you more than likely have everything in your cupboard or refrigerator. Maybe not the Honey Roasted Peanuts, but the flour, sugar, butter, peanut butter, egg, milk, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder and salt are just waiting to be combined into a confection. 

After sifting the flour into a food processor, the honey roasted peanuts are added. After pulsing for approximately one minute, you are left with a fine mixture. What I am now calling 'peanut flour'. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, the peanut butter, butter, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and vanilla are beaten until light and creamy. Although there is only one egg used in this recipe, it is added in two additions (which means you have to lightly beat the egg first). Next your 'peanut flour' is added and mixed until it is incorporated into the creamed mixture. Lastly the milk is added (I used whole milk, but any percentage would work). The result is beautiful, supple, very soft dough. One that holds it shape when scooped into balls. And one hard not to stop yourself from eating.

Using a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop, I made 25 evenly sized balls of dough. Mine weighed about 1 1/2 ounces each. They were more than the recommended 1 1/8 ounce size, but I wanted them a bit larger. In a preheated 350 degree (F) oven, the cookies bake for approximately 16 minutes (mine were taken out of the oven at the 16 minute mark) or until they are still puffed in the middle and the edges are just barely beginning to brown. At this point you might think they aren't done and you should bake them longer. But letting the cookies rest on the hot/warm cookie sheet for 10 minutes (before you transfer them to a cooling rack) makes for a perfectly textured, crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, peanut butter cookie. So be careful not to over bake them or they will lose their chewiness texture.

Honestly after taking one bite of these Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Cookies before they were dipped in the melted chocolate I momentarily wondering if I really needed to. They were like an expensive bakery version cookie in appearance, taste, and texture. The kind you would have begged or paid the bakery to give you the recipe. But that little voice in my head kept saying 'you need to dip them in melted chocolate' wouldn't go away. So I dipped them. And now they were like an expensive gourmet bakery version in appearance, taste and texture. The kind of cookie you would pay more for just to be able enjoy chocolate and peanut butter in a single bite.

I know we usually associate pies as the traditional dessert for Thanksgiving, but nothing says we can't also serve a platter of cookies too. Like these Chocolate Dipped Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Cookies for example. No one should have to wait for the Christmas holiday cookie season to taste them. That would be even more cruel than me not bringing them to the girls' getaway weekend. You need to make them, even if the person in the family known for their 'peanut butter cookie' is at your dinner table. I would bet even they would concede the honor should be passed on to you (which you would graciously pass on to Stella Parks). Maybe they wouldn't say such a thing publicly, but privately they would. Because I am willing to bet (and I don't usually bet) these Chocolate Dipped Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Cookies will forever redefine what a 'great' peanut butter cookie should be. So what should you do with your current favorite peanut butter cookie recipe? Maybe it's time to just 'let it go'. 

Recipe
Chocolate Dipped Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Cookies (slight adaptation to the Honey-Roasted Peanut Butter Cookies from Stella Parks recently published cookbook 'Bravetart: Iconic American Desserts')
Makes 24-26 cookies

Ingredients
1 cup (4.5 ounces/130 g) all-purpose flour (recommend Gold Medal Flour)
1 1/4 cups (6 ounces/170 g) salted, honey roasted peanuts
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces/285 g), creamy peanut butter 
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups (10 ounces/285g) granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 large egg, lightly blended
3 Tablespoons whole milk 
12-14 ounces good quality (melting) milk chocolate

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F) or 180 degrees (C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Sift flour into the bowl of a large food processor. Add honey roasted peanuts and pulse until fine (approximately 1 minute).
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the peanut butter, butter, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder and vanilla. Mixing first on low speed and gradually increasing to medium speed, beat until light and soft (approximately 3 minutes).
4. With mixer running, add the egg in two additions until each one is well incorporated.
5. Reduce speed to low and add the flour/peanut mixture. Mix until blended.
6. Finish with adding milk, and mix until you have a very soft cookie dough.
7. Using a 1 1/2" in diameter cookie cutter (about 1 1/2 ounces or 2 tablespoons), form 24-26 portions. Arrange on baking sheets, leaving at least 2" between each cookie ball.
8. Bake one tray at a time for approximately 16 minutes, rotating tray midway through the baking process. Cookies will be done when the edges are firm and just barely beginning to brown, but cookies will still be puffed and steamy in the center. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool completely.
9. In a bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate.
10. Dip one half of the cookies and place on a large piece of parchment paper to dry. Allow to dry completely before serving or putting in an airtight container. Cookies will be good for up to a week.

Notes: (1) These cookies made without chocolate are equally delicious. (2) Use a commercial grade versus natural peanut butter. I used JIF. (3) I used milk chocolate melting discs from a local chocolatier. But use any high quality melting milk chocolate available to you.

Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin weekend trip images  (November 2013)

Cranberry Streusel Bundt Cake

At the end of the week, the posse (a group of my running friends so aptly named by the person who shall remain nameless) are going on getaway up to the north woods of Wisconsin. Months ago when the trip was first planned, a relaxing getaway emerged as its' theme. The most type A and type A+ members of the posse may have gotten a little carried away with making lists of what everyone should bring or what the ambitious list of itinerary options could be. Somehow the two Type A and Type A+ members of the posse either weren't paying attention or selectively not listening. But in the spirit of 'luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity, who knows what semi-absolute necessities we might not be able to find once we get to up the 'wildnerness' (aka away from all of the conveniences of suburbia)! A weekend away would not be complete without some adult beverages, so it was probably one of those things that didn't need to make the list (because it was just a given). Although someone in the group is known to be a big fan of redundancy as well as having a tendency to skew a little to the high maintenance side.

So whether or not we make the yoga class, keep our spa appointments, get a hike and/or run in, go to a Friday night fish fry, or do a dive bar crawl in a town nearby, won't really matter in the end. Because being able to spend 'memorable moment' time together is what really matters most. Okay, maybe the dive bar crawl needs to really happen. Because, hey isn't sitting in a bar drinking beer from any one of Wisconsin's finest breweries one of the most relaxing things one could possibly do? Think I will surprise them all and make a couple of their favorite 'sweet' snacks for this trip. Had I known how incredibly delicious this Cranberry Streusel Bundt Cake was going to be, I maybe should have waited to make it. Or just maybe we should take a side trip to one of the cranberry bogs in Wisconsin and pick up some fresh cranberries and make another one when we get back. Just teasing. Really, seriously, just teasing. About the trip to cranberry bog, not about making another bundt cake.

The photo of a Cranberry Streusel Bundt Cake gracing the cover the holiday issue of Bake from Scratch was enough to convince me to (impulsively) buy the magazine. Browsing through the ingredient list for the cake, I was intrigued by the use of Chinese Five-Spice Powder.  Generally made up of at least five spices, this spice mixture is generally used more often in savory dishes than sweet confections. While there are many variations of Chinese Five-Spice Powder, the most common are star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Szechuan peppercorns, ginger, and fennel seeds. So I couldn't help but wonder how this spice, when combined with cinnamon and ground nutmeg, would taste in cake studded with tart cranberries. Would my palate be pleasantly surprised or deeply disappointed? Time would soon tell.

The Cranberry Streusel Bundt Cake is made up of four easy to assemble components: the bundt cake batter, the streusel, the confectionary sugar icing, and the sugared cranberries. Note: The inspiration recipe used a homemade cranberry powder instead of sugared cranberries. 

When adding cranberries to a cake, my first instinct is always to cut some of them in half. For this cake, I cut about a of 1/3 cup of the cranberries in half (lengthwise) and kept the remaining 1 2/3 cups whole. Cutting the cranberries is just a personal preference and not a deal breaker. So feel free to skip a cutting step and add all of them in whole. Because it's cranberry season along with being guided by the adage 'fresh is best', the choice to use either fresh or frozen cranberries was easy. However, if I made this cake in the off season, then my only option would be to use frozen cranberries. 

In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, batter for this bundt cake comes together beautifully and the assembly sequence is pretty straightforward. Other than reducing the amount of cranberries from 2 1/4 cups to 2 cups, I followed the recipe for the batter. In a ten cup capacity bundt pan, the batter and streusel are layered. One third of the batter is followed by half of the streusel, followed by another third of the batter, topped with the other half of the streusel and topped with the remaining third of the batter. The batter will almost completely fill a 10 cup capacity bundt pan. 

When it came to the making the streusel, I wasn't sure if I (and everyone else in my small circle not too familiar with taste of Chinese Five-Spice Powder) could handle this spice in both the batter and the streusel. After some 'what to do, what to do' deliberation, I oped to omit the Chinese Five-Spice Powder from the streusel and increase the brown sugar from 1 1/2 Tablespoons to 2 Tablespoons. I can't say for sure whether leaving out this spice from the streusel was a great idea or a bad decision as I have no basis of comparison for how the streusel (or cake) tastes without it being in both the cake and streusel. I can only tell you everyone loved the cake as I had made it. 

As a precaution, I place the bundt pan on a baking sheet before putting into a preheated 350 degree (F) or 180 degree (C) oven. The baking time on the cake will range from 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes. My baking time was closer to the 1 hour and 20 minute mark. To test for doneness, insert a long skewer in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If you have ever made a bundt cake before, you know there is nothing worse than an underdone or overdone cake.

There are several things you should do to help ensure your bundt cake comes out cleanly. The first is making sure the pan is heavily buttered/sprayed and floured. Yes, even if you have a non-stick bundt pan. The second is allowing the cake to rest for 30 minutes before unmolding. Lastly, carefully inserting a sharp knife along the top edges of the cake pan to loosen the cake from the side of the pan. Next to under or overcooked bundt cake, one that comes out in pieces usually leads to my undoing.

While the Cranberry Streusel Bundt Cake is cooling you can make the sugared cranberries. After bringing a simple syrup made up of 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar to boil, the cranberries are added for only a minute. This gives them enough time to take on the syrupy coating without popping. After removing the cranberries from the syrup with a slotted spoon, place on a wire rack. While they are still 'wet' roll them in granulated sugar until they are transformed into beautiful glistening balls. Once rolled in sugar, you can set them on a piece of parchment paper or on a clean cooling rack to dry. Note: They dry relatively quickly.

The original recipe called for the use of a Citrus Glaze (one made with fresh orange juice instead of vanilla). Although I had a fully zest orange ready to squeeze, I opted for a glaze made with vanilla (a clear vanilla to keep the icing as white as possible). Sifting the confectionary sugar before adding in the pinch of salt, milk, and vanilla will create a smooth, lump free, icing.

The Cranberry Streusel Bundt Cake should come to room temperature (several hours wait time) before it's glazed with icing. If the icing is added while the cake is still to warm, it will melt into the cake.

If adding the sugared cranberries to the cake, they need to placed on the cake while the icing is still wet. If the icing hardens, these little beautiful balls of deliciousness will roll off the cake.

So how good was a Cranberry Streusel Bundt Cake having Chinese Five-Spice Powder in the cake batter? Simply divine. Not only did it exceed all of my rather tentative expectations, my taste buds felt as if they had been given the keys to bundt cake nirvana. The tartness of the cranberries and orange zest, the sweetness of streusel and icing, and the spicy warmth of the cake itself were an incredible trifecta of flavors. 

To further sing the praises of this cake, it's texture was perfectly dense and moist. Making it the kind of cake you could serve for breakfast, brunch, tea, or dessert. And yes, even as a late night or post evening workout snack. As the holiday season approaches, this would be a great cake to wake up to the day after Thanksgiving or on Christmas morning. And if you are like me and want to get your fill of fresh cranberries before they go out of season, the Cranberry Streusel Bundt Cake would make for a great New Year's Eve or Day dinner dessert. The versatility of this cake may be another one of its' best features.

Recipe
Cranberry Streusel Bundt Cake (slight adaptation to TheBakeFeed's Cranberry Streusel Bundt as shared in the Holiday edition of Bake From Scratch, December 2017)

Ingredients
Cake
4 large eggs (200 g), room temperature
1 large egg yolk (19g), room temperature
1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups (360 g) sour cream
3/4 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons orange zest
1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups (333 g) all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Chinese Five-Spice Powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
1/2 cup whole milk
2 cups (340 g) fresh cranberries

Streusel
1/3 cup (42 g) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 Tablespoons (21 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons to 1 Tablespoon Chinese Five-Spice Powder (optional) See note below.

Glaze 
1 1/2 cups (170 g) confectionary sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of kosher salt
3-4 Tablespoons whole milk

Sugared Cranberries
1/2 cup water
1/2 granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (or frozen, but if using frozen do not thaw before adding to the batter)
Another 1/2 cup of granulated sugar for coating the cranberries

Directions
Cake
1. Preheat aoven to 350 degrees (F) or 180 degrees (C). Heavily butter and flour a 10 cup Bundt pan.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, five-spice powder, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the eggs, egg yolk, and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy (approximately 4 minutes).
4. With mixer on low speed, add sour cream, oil, zest, and vanilla. Increase mixer to medium speed and beat until well combined.
5. Alternating flour and milk to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until combined after each addition (the flour had three additions, the milk had two additions).
6. Fold cranberries into the batter. Optional: Cut 1/3 cup of the cranberries in half lengthwise. Fold in the cut and whole cranberries into the batter.
7. Spoon 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture. Add another third of the batter. Sprinkle other half of the streusel mixture. Finish with final third of the batter. Tap batter on counter several times to release any air bubbles. Note: Pan will be very full.
8. Place bundt pan on baking sheet and place in oven. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted the near the center comes out clean. Baking time will range from 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes.
10. Invert pan onto a platter or cake stand. Let cool completely before drizzling glaze on the cake. Place sugared cranberries on cake before the glaze has firmed up.
11. Cut into slices and serve. Store cake covered at room temperature.

Streusel
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and five-spice powder (if using).
2. Add butter. Using your fingers work butter into the flour mixture until it has the texture of dry sand.

Sugared Cranberries
1. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissovles. Approximately 2-3 minutes.
2. Stir in cranberries until well coated. Working in batches emove cranberries with a slotted spoon and roll in the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar. Set cranberries on a cooling rack. Allow to dry completely. (approximately 1-2 hours).

Glaze
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sifted confectionary sugar, vanilla, salt and milk until smooth. Note: Add milk 1 Tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.

Notes: (1) I used this 10 cup capacity Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt pan. (2) If adding the Chinese Spice-Powder to the streusel mixture use up to 1 Tablespoon of the spice. (3) The cake continues to be delicious or 2-3 days after its' baked, if wrapped well in cellophone. Store at room temperature. (4) I used a pre-packaged Chinese Five-Spice Powder, however, there are several recipes available online for homemade versions. (5) Another one of my favorite cranberry desserts, Nantucket Cranberry Pie, was posted to the blog several years ago. If you haven't yet made it, you really should. (5) You can use the cranberry flavor infused leftover simple syrup for cocktails. Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to a month.