Friday, April 30, 2010

May Cranfest Scoop

The May issue of The Cranfest Scoop is now available online. Read about an exciting new parade update and see what our Royalty have been up to. Also, try a delicious cranberry marinade for your Memorial Day grilling.

Also in this issue:
  • Final Farewells
  • 2010 Members
  • Donations to Date
  • Calendar of Events
  • Membership Form
  • Beautification Grant
  • Volunteer Form

UW Eau Claire Blugolds to Be in This Year's Parade

We would like to announce an exciting addition to our gigantic parade this year: the UW Eau Claire Marching Blugolds!

The 280-member band is one of the most active bands in the upper Midwest, appearing at football games, festivals and stage shows. They have performed in such places as the Vatican and are doing a 10-day tour of Paris, London and Venice this season.

In addition to marching in the parade, the Blugolds will perform immediately after the parade on Main Street. This will truly be an experience Cranfesters will never forget!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Recipe Contest is Coming to a Close/Cranberry Fruit Pizza

Hey all you aspiring chefs out there! Our annual Wisconsin Cranberry Recipe Contest deadline is creeping up very quickly. Deadline for entries is this Friday, April 30. Enter your favorite original fresh or processed cranberry recipe and see if you can be a winner! Entry information is available here.

If you need some inspiration, here is one of our winning recipes from last year, Cranberry Fruit Pizza.

Cranberry Fruit Pizza

Ingredients

16.5 ounces refrigerated sugar cookie dough
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 ounces whole cranberry sauce
14 slices frozen peaches
1 sweet or tart crisp apple
12 ounces frozen mixed berries
1/2 cup cherry flavored sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1/8 to 1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/8 to 1/4 cup finely ground walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll or pat the cookie dough into an 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool. Sprinkle frozen peaches with lemon juice, thaw and pat dry. Defrost frozen berries and drain. Defrose frozen berries and drain. Set defrosted fruit aside. Remove cookie crust from pan and place on serving platter. Mix cream cheese and vanilla extract together. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the cooled crust. Spread the cranberry sauce over the cream cheese.

Arrange peach slices end to end around the outer edge of the crust. Slice the cored apple into 1/8-inch thick slices and lay them end to end inside the peach outer circle. Evenly place the drained berries as the next ring. Place another ring of apples after the berries. Evenly distribute sweetened dried cranberries as the center of the pizza. Warm the orange marmalade and evenly brush it over the entire surface of fruit. Finally, evenly sprinkle the entire pizza with the coconut and walnuts.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Chicken Cranberry Pizza

Have a party this weekend with this tangy take on a classic favorite- pizza.

Ingredients
1/2-3/4 pound chicken breast
vegetable oil
dough or prepared pizza crust
1-1/2 cup cranberry (whole) sauce
6 ounces brie, chopped
8 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup mushrooms of your choice
1/4 red onion
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper
sweetened dried cranberries

Saute the chicken with vegetable oil. Add the onion, mushrooms and all spices. Once cooked, remove the chicken and saute the rest a little longer until the mushrooms are cooked.

Shape the pizza dough or place the prepared pizza crust onto a pizza pan or stone. Bake the dough for about 10-15 minutes before adding the toppings.

Once baked, top the crust with cranberry sauce, chicken, mushrooms, brie, mozzarella, onion and dried cranberries.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until everything is melted and the crust is light brown.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake

In Wisconsin, we're known for two things: cheese and, of course, cranberries. This recipe from www.cranberries.org combines the best of both worlds.

Ingredients
24 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups sweetened cranberry puree

Crust
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup melted butter

Gather ingredients and bring to room temperature. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

To make the crust, place graham cracker crumbs in a medium sized work bowl. Add melted butter and mix well.

Place graham cracker mixture evenly over the bottom of a greased 10-inch spring form pan

Place cream cheese, flour and sugar in the work bowl of electric mixer. Beat on medium/high until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, scraping sides of bowl between each egg. Add vanilla and heavy cream. Beat until smooth.

Pour 2/3 of the cheesecake batter over the graham cracker crust. Spoon the sweetened cranberry puree over the cheese mix in dollops about 1 inch apart. Pour remaining batter over puree. Swirl through the batter and puree with a knife to achieve marble effect. Be careful not to scrape crust.

Create a water bath by placing the spring form pan in the center of a roasting pan. Pour hot water into the roasting pan approximately half way up the sides of the spring form pan.

Place roasting pan in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for 45-60 minutes. Check cake at 45 minutes for doneness. Cheesecake will be golden brown and puffed in the center. If center is sagging, add additional time as needed, and check every few minutes.

Let cheesecake stand for at least 1 1/2 hours before refrigerating for 24 hours. Slide knife around rim of spring form pan, remove rim and serve.

Monday, April 5, 2010

April Newsletter

Hi everyone!

Hope you had a "berry" blessed Easter! This month's edition of the Cranfest Scoop is now available online. Read about this year's contests, and check out our new 2010 shirts that are now available in the festival office. Also, read what our royalty have been up to, and enjoy a delicious recipe for cranberry orange streusel bread.