Slice of Cranberry Heaven

Well James Brown said it best... I Feel Good. Really, really, really good. Well, I don't want to get into any type of bragging mode or anything, but I have a bunch of reasons.

• I don't have to go to school ever, ever again
• The Jets are 8-3 and probably one of the best teams in the AFC
• My workouts are going really well
• I have a month of relaxing ahead of me
• The holidays are coming, and thankfully, I don't get stressed out by them
• Oh, I'm a doctor

So, that's my new life in a nutshell. Yes, I've been away from blogging more than I'd like, but I had a couple of loose ends to tie up. Sure, I still have traveling and a few interviews to do still, but at least there's no more homework... ever. If you can't imagine how awesome this is, just think of the second best feeling in your life :) Thanks to everyone wishing me well, I really appreciate it, and if you need any health doctor-y advice, I'm here for ya best I can.

So onto the baking. Earlier this week was my mother's birthday. Now, she's not one to fuss about birthdays and always gives me the "don't get me anything" line. I'm sure you've recieved the same thing before sometime. The celebration person in question looks you in the eye, and with sincerity that could fool a lie detector machine and win an Oscar, tells you not to do anything special for them.

Ladies, and especially gentlemen... this is a trap. Come on, you have to do something. Seriously. I mean it's your mom... she was there to hang your demented stick looking dog picture on the fridge when you were 4. Do something.

The problem I had was that this year, her birthday is really wicked close to Thanksgiving. I didn't want to send the house into dessert overload prematurely, so I needed something light, festive, and fall. I scratched my head, and thought for a bit.

Don't think chocolate... we are not a chocolate household. It's tough right? It's like golfing without clubs... so without further adieu... I give you...

Cranberry Orange Angel Food Cake. Just what the doctor ordered (or made). Light, simple, easy to throw together, and uniquely awesome. Plus there's like no fat. This is a bodybuilders post workout dream of fluffy cloud tart goodness.

Cranberry Orange Angel Food Cake
Recipe by Adam

-1 cup cake flour
-1 1/2 cups of sugar
-12 egg whites
-1 tsp cream of tartar
-1/4 tsp salt -1 tsp vanilla
-1 tbsp Grand Marnier
-2 tsp orange zest
-6 oz fresh cranberries

Super easy recipe. Preheat your oven to 350*. Set your rack to the bottom if you are using an angel food cake pan, or middle if you are using something else.

In a large, metal or glass bowl (make sure it's clean, no grease or grime), whip the egg whites with an electric mixer. Don't use your arms... they will probably fall off. Whip the whites on medium speed for a bit, and mix in the cream of tartar and salt. Take the speed up a notch, and as it comes together, add a little of the sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time. Keep adding sugar as the whites increase in volume, and all of the sugar has been used. You want some soft to semi firm peaks forming.

Fold in the flour, gently, and return to beating the mixture so it's well incorporated. Once the flour is in, add the vanilla, orange zest, and Grand Mariner. Fold in the cranberries last, and make sure everything is well blended.

Pour the batter into the angel food pan, making sure it's very clean of grease and dirt, and smooth over evenly. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown, and dry to the touch. Immediately take the pan out of the oven and flip it over, so the dome cylinder thing in the pan is supporting the pan and cake. Let it cool like this until it's cool. Run a knife around the edge, and take it carefully out. Serve it up.

This cake was a nice Fall festive change of pace for the impending (but in a good way) Thanksgiving countdown. I think the fall flavors mixed well nicely, and the tartness of the cranberries work well with a cake that is pretty much all sugar. Insulin can definitely be a delicious thing :) Did the cranberries sink to the bottom? Yup. Did I try to coat them with four? Yup. But there's a couple of things I learned this week...

4 dogs in your house is too many... people are picky about their Thanksgiving traditions and changing up their favorite foods... and cranberries don't like to be coated in flour :)

So to all my good blogging buddies, give this cake a try when you want something that's not heavy and rich. You'll be impressed, just like I'm impressed at all the awesome food creations out there recently. Keep it real, and I'll be back this week :)
Angel