Sausage Raisin Stuffing

Sausage. Raisins. Bread. And other good stuff.

I realize that stuffing feels like a Thanksgiving food, but if you like to throw a more formal Christmas celebration, consider this newish take on the usual stuffing. (Or dressing, I guess, if you're not stuffing a bird -- and I don't.)

This recipe from Real Simple is a little bit vegetabley, a little bit buttery, a lot bit good. The recipe calls for golden raisins, I went with the regular old ones. The world kept on turning.

Sausage Raisin Stuffing

• 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick), plus more for the dish and foil
• 1 small loaf country bread, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 12 cups)
• 3/4 pound pound Italian sausage, casings removed
• 4 leeks (white and light green parts), chopped
• 4 carrots, cut into small matchsticks
• Salt and black pepper
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 3 large eggs, beaten

Heat oven to 375° F. Butter a 3-quart baking dish. Place the bread on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing once, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up, until browned, 7 minutes. Add to the bread.

Wipe out the skillet and melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks, carrots, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the broth and raisins; bring to a boil. Add to the bread.

Add the parsley and eggs to the bread mixture and toss to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Cover loosely with buttered foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

The food: Sausage raisin stuffing

The verdict: Destined to become a Christmas classic

Hot from the oven: Baked donuts

Plain baked donuts, ready for glaze. Or a glass of milk.

I've got a small kitchen, so I try to stick to the basics and must-haves when it comes to kitchen gadgets. And a donut pan is not a must-have. But it is fun. So when Cookwear.com offered to send me something from the store to try out, I made an exception to my basics-and-must-haves rule.

The Fox Run non-stick donut pan is a pretty decent piece of bakewear. It's got a good weight (not so flimsy you'd bend it while you're scrubbing out donut crumbs, not so heavy it's annoying to hold while you fill it) and I haven't had any sticking issues, so it lives up to the non-stick name. My one complaint would be that the wells are a tad small. My recipe for a half-dozen donuts produced more batter than could be baked. And keep in mind that if you want to feed a crowd (or just a few very enthusiastic donut eaters), you'll need a couple of these.

If you're a real Krispy Kreme fanatic, I know baked donuts sound like heresy. I'll be honest; you're never going to mistake them for their fried brethren. But if you want hot donuts in a flash with a little bit healthier twist, this is a nice pan to have hanging around.

As far as recipes go, I recommend checking out King Arthur Flour. Between their tasty mixes and the recipes on their blog, you're sure to find the perfect batter for your donut pan. (And there's no shame in using a mix!) For the donuts pictured at the top of this post, I used this recipe (mixing a little whole-wheat pastry flour with plain old all-purpose). I didn't frost mine because I thought they were pretty good as is, but a little melted chocolate or a citrusy glaze would be great, I bet.

The pan: Fox Run non-stick donut pan
The verdict: A nice little pan for the donut-lover in everyone

When speed baking doesn't pay: Pumpkin cranberry scones

As they say on Arrested Development, I've made a huge tiny mistake.

Check out these pumpkin cranberry scones. They're from a recipe from the good folks at King Arthur Flour. And they would have turned out great had I not been speed baking and used baking soda instead of baking powder.

See what I mean? Huge tiny mistake. Tiny because they both look the same. They both kind of do the same thing. They both have "baking" in the name. But huge because a tablespoon of one in your scones makes them puffy. And a tablespoon of the other makes them taste like soap.

I'm happy to report I've made them since and with the right ingredients, they're mighty tasty. Find the recipe over at King Arthur. (I used cranberries in my version--their recipe calls for crystallized ginger or chocolate chips, both of which sound excellent.)

Fall food: Cranberry oatmeal bars

Fall has finally found its way to North Carolina and I'm baking accordingly. I see some pumpkin- and apple-based foods in my future.

My first fall treat: oatmeal cranberry bars. They contain--wait for it--both oatmeal and cranberry, as you may have guessed, and they've got a subtle orange flavor, too, thanks to a little zest and fresh juice.

This is a recipe from Cooking Light, which means it's not as bad for you as, say, caramel hot fudge peanut sundaes, but I've found that Cooking Light keeps the calorie counts down by recommending tiny portions. For instance, recipe is made in an 11x7-inch pan and is supposed to make 24 servings. You'd better just give me four right now.

Oatmeal Cranberry Bars

Crust:

• 4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• Cooking spray

Filling:

• 1 1/3 cups dried cranberries (about 6 ounces)
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325°. To prepare crust, spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle butter and juice over flour mixture, stirring until moistened (mixture will be crumbly). Reserve 1/2 cup oat mixture. Press remaining oat mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

To prepare filling, combine cranberries, sour cream, granulated sugar, and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well. Spread cranberry mixture over prepared crust; sprinkle reserved oat mixture evenly over filling. Bake at 325° for 40 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

The food: Oatmeal Cranberry Bars
The verdict: Wilford Brimley says you should eat them