Maida Heatters Apple Cranberry Pudding Recipes

MAIDA HEATTER'S APPLE CRANBERRY PUDDING

Steps:

• Adjust rack to middle of oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a shallow ovenproof baking dish with about a two-quart capacity (11 by 8 by 1 3/4 or 2 inches). Set aside.
• Place cranberries in bowl of cold water to wash, pick over them, and drain on a towel. Let stand.
• Peel, quarter and core apples. Cut each piece into one-half-inch chunks. In bowl mix cranberries with apples, pecans and sugar. Turn into baking dish and smooth top.
• In small bowl of an electric mixer beat eggs to mix. Beat in sugar then add flour and melted butter at the same time and beat until smooth. Pour batter evenly over bottom layer.
• Bake for about 50 minutes until top is golden and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, preferably with vanilla ice cream.

MAIDA HEATTER'S FREE-FORM APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
• Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add water and toss with a fork until pastry holds together.
• Shape pastry into a ball and flatten into a disk.
• Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Melt butter in a 12" skillet over medium heat.
• Increase heat to high and add sugar and brandy.
• Stir in apples and cover and cook 3 minutes, stirring apples twice.
• Uncover and add raisins and cook apples, stirring until tender and liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes more.
• Cool apples completely.
• Stir in nuts.
• Heat oven to 425.
• Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into a 14 inch circle.
• Transfer pastry to a large cookie sheet.
• Arrange apples on pastry, leaving a 2 to 2 1/2 inch border around the edge.
• Fold edge of pastry over apples.
• The pie shell should be about 9 inches in diameter.
• Bake 15 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 400 and bake 30 minutes, until crust is golden brown.
• Melt preserves through a sieve into a cup.
• Drizzle over filling.
• Cool on cookie sheet.
• Transfer to serving platter when cool.

MAIDA HEATTER'S APPLE CRANBERRY MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, adjusting rack to the top position. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Wash the berries briefly in bowl of cold water, drain, and let dry on paper towels.
• In small bowl beat the egg just to mix. Stir in the grated rind, raisins, orange juice, and vanilla and reserve.
• Peel, quarter, and core the apples and cut them into 1/4-inch dice. Measure out 1 cup of the apples and reserve.
• Into a large mixing bowl measure both flours, baking powder and soda, the spices, salt and sugar. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to flour mixture, cutting in with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add the egg and juice mixture and with a rubber spatula fold together only until the dry ingredients are barely moistened. Then briefly mix in the apples, cranberies, and walnuts. Do *not* handle any more than necessary.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. They will be mounded high above the tops. This is as it should be. Do not smooth the tops.
• Sprinkle the tops generously with additional sugar to give the muffins a light glaze.
• Bake for 25-28 minutes until just barely firm to the touch.
• Remove muffins from the pan and place on wire rack. They are best served warm or at room temperature; "the fresher the better," says Heatter.