Рецепт Pairing a Tablescape with Dessert ~ Harvest Wine Table and Cranberry Crunch Coffee Cake

by Sandra

Pairing a Tablescape with Dessert ~ Harvest Wine Table and Cranberry Crunch Coffee Cake Often, I like to stretch my creativity by pairing a tablescape with dessert. Admittedly that comes about at the last minute when I’m trying to work with florals and ultimately give up. With that in mind, I’m looking back on some fall tables and desserts that I think would have paired well together. Fall brings to mind rich earth tones and deep shades of mahogany. At least that’s what our yard looks like when the leaves start to fall.  This duo works well together and since I have a ton of cranberries in my freezer this dessert is likely to happen again soon.   The inspiration for this table was the stand that holds the faux fruit and pillar candle and holder. The stand is actually a trivet and the round ceramic plate is ceramic had a fruit motif, but it wasn’t very pretty. I gave it a couple of coats of black spray paint and now it looks shiny and new. Wanting to keep it simple I added a silver pillar holder and cream colored candle. The base is loaded with faux grapes, a few small gourds, and some berry sprigs. On each side are two black dessert plates topped with a deep red votive holder and a cluster of grapes. I opted for black and tan woven placemats that came from Ross’ several years back. The dinner plates are Jubilee from Noritake and the colors couldn’t be any better for this setting. I topped them with everyday salad plates and a sherbet dish that is from an Avon Collection many years ago. The napkin is rolled lengthwise and placed above the dinner plate. Simple black handled cutlery completes the stack.  Black goblets and a water goblet from the same Avon Collection round out the setting. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Now about that dessert. If ever I’m stumped on a recipe I can always rely on my Southern Living Annual Cookbooks. Initially, I didn’t have high hopes for this one but I was wrong. This Cranberry Crunch Coffee Cake was a bonafide winner and giving it away was bittersweet.  The brown sugar in the batter and the topping not only contributed to its hue but to the somewhat caramelized flavor. Then there are the cranberries. Strangely enough, cranberry sauce is usually tossed out at the end of our holiday meal. My daughter-in-law is the only one who seems to care for it and she just takes a tiny bit. Minced cranberries are needed for this cake and at the onset, I was mincing by hand. That lasted a few minutes, I tossed those bad boys in the food processor and let it do the work. In a matter of seconds, it was a done deal.   For curiosity’s sake, I tasted one raw and was met with a bitter taste. Luckily, once they were surrounded by a sweet batter, and decadent brown sugar crumble complete with chopped walnuts they were just fine. A silky Vanilla Glaze was added for a little something extra.   Print Pairing a Tablescape with Dessert ~ Harvest Wine Table and Cranberry Crunch Coffee Cake Author: Sandra Lee Garth Recipe type: Dessert Cuisine: American Prep time:  Cook time:  Total time:  Serves: 10-12   Pairing a Tablescape with Dessert isn’t a tedious task. Working with the tastes and colors of the season helps it all fall into place. Ingredients ⅔ cup butter or margarine softened 1 cup sugar 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar divided 2 eggs 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon divided 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup buttermilk ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ cup chopped walnuts 1 ¾ cups fresh or frozen cranberries minced Vanilla Glaze 1 cup powdered sugar sifted 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 tablespoon milk Instructions Preheat oven to 350° F and prepare a 9x13-inch baking dish for non-stick baking. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Then gradually add sugar plus ½ cup brown sugar, beating well. Add eggs and beat until yolk streaks are gone. Combine flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and next 3 ingredients then add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mix well after each addition. Spoon half of the batter into a greased and floured 13- x 9-inch pan. Combine remaining ½ cup brown sugar, remaining ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, and walnuts and sprinkle half of the mixture over batter, and top with cranberries. Top with remaining batter, and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar mixture. Bake at 350° F for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in small bowl and stir until smooth. Cut into squares and serve the coffee cake warm. Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe 3.5.3251   Related Images: Share this:ShareEmailTweetPrintLike this:Like Loading... Related