Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread Recipes

STICKY CRANBERRY GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9-inch square or round baking pan with parchment.
• In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together cranberries, granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Stir the cranberries over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and cranberries form a sauce that is syrupy and bubbling thickly, about 10 minutes. Aim to have about half the cranberries broken down, with the remainder more or less whole.
• In a separate saucepan, stir together the butter, brown sugar, milk, maple syrup and molasses over medium heat. Bring it to just barely a simmer and then remove it from the heat. Do not let it come to a boil, or the mixture may curdle.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda and black pepper. Beat in the butter-maple syrup mixture and then beat in the eggs. Stir in the ginger.
• Scrape the batter into the pan. Drop fat dollops of cranberry sauce onto the surface of the cake batter. Drag a long, slender knife through the batter in a swirly design, as if you are marbling a cake. Transfer the cake to the oven and bake it until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire baking rack and let the cake cool completely before eating it.

CRANBERRY GINGER STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• For the dough: Lightly grease a large bowl and set aside.
• In a small pot, bring the milk just to a boil over medium heat. Watch closely to ensure that the milk doesn't boil over. Add it to a small bowl and let it cool to 105 to 110 degrees F. (It should be warm to the touch but not too hot.) Add the whole egg and yolks and stir to combine.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, cranberries, granulated sugar, yeast and salt. Add the warm milk mixture and mix just until combined.
• Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough on low speed until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Add the butter a piece at a time until completely incorporated. Form the dough into a ball, put it in the prepared bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave it in a warm, draft-free spot until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• For the topping: Meanwhile, butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Add 3 tablespoons water to a small saucepan, then add the granulated sugar to the center of the pan. Cook the sugar mixture over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until it is a deep amber, 6 to 8 minutes. Whisk in the butter, cream and salt until smooth (be careful, it will sputter). Pour the caramel into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the nuts evenly over the top. Set aside.
• For the filling: Mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
• When the dough has doubled, tip it out onto a very lightly floured work surface. Knead it once or twice to expel the air and then roll it into a 16-by-12-inch rectangle.
• Spread the butter evenly over the surface and sprinkle with the reserved filling and the ginger. Tightly roll up the dough and pinch the top seam closed. With a serrated knife, cut the roll crosswise into 12 equal pieces. Set them in the dish with the topping, spirals facing upward. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let them rest until the dough has almost doubled again, about 1 hour. They should look pillowy and all of the rolls will be touching.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Uncover the rolls, set a piece of aluminum foil on a lower oven rack to catch any caramel that may drip and bake until deep golden brown and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes. Give the center roll a wiggle--if it's set in place, the buns are ready to come out. If the middle of that center roll feels soft, give them another few minutes. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then carefully cut around the edge with a paring knife and invert the rolls onto a serving plate. Let cool slightly before eating.