Oh Know, A late Posting for TWD's Cran Apple Crisp (plus Italian Sausage Lasagna Roll-ups)

Tuesday with Dorie is HERE and Em of The Repressed Pastry Chef selected Cran-Apple Crisps on page 422 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking, From my home to yours cookbook.
What a beautiful holiday choice! LOVED IT!

Even being crazy busy and baking the crisp late Monday night, the reward of a delicious dessert that screams Thanksgiving and Christmas together, with a pretty bow on top, was worth the extra effort.

I was raised in Grayland, with cranberry bogs all around me, as a little girl. I used to help my dad sort cranberries, watch the berries be put into humongous wood bins, see the semi-trucks pull up and load the bins onto flatbeds, then the trucks drove the plump red berries off to an Ocean Spray factory (about 35 minutes from where we lived).

I now live only 2 hours from where I watched the whole process (beginning to end) so imagine my surprise when entering a grocery store for fresh Ocean Spray cranberries to find second or even third rate, shriveled, unequal sized cranberries for the outrageous price of $6.00, for a small bag no less! The shock was an instant wave across my brain. I used to pick the cranberries off the bog and pop them in my mouth (showing off to my little friends, of course, because raw cranberries are extremely 'Sour') and each berry was just as big as the previous one. Irritation sounds like a good word right now. So where are the perfect berries being shipped?

Dorie, your recipe, with or without perfect cranberries, is a hit for flavor. I cut down on the sugar by half, then worried while the crisp baked that I would have a sour/bitter dessert. Instead, the flavors, color, and aroma was magnificent!

My only downfall was rushing the recipe and over~processing the crumble. I had no large chunks. Just pebble-sized pieces. Of course, the flavor was not affected.
To see how wonderful the rest of the TWD bakers did this week, just click here for our list of bakers and links to each blog. Everyone here is so talented! Thank you EM!!!!

I promised Italian Sausage Lasagna Roll-Ups, so here they are. Easy and delicious.

Italian Sausage Lasagna Roll Ups

Ingredients:

8 lasagna noodles

16 container ricotta cheese or cottage cheese

1/2 teaspoon minced chives

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon fresh basil

1 pound sweet Italian Sausage (cooked and drained of grease)

8 slices Swiss cheese, cut in half

1 - jar meatless spaghetti sauce (or fresh homemade)

1 - cup shredded Parmesan or Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

Cook Italian sausage, drain grease and set aside.

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.

Combine ricotta or cottage cheese, chives, oregano and basil; spread about 1/4 cup over each noodle to within 1/2 in. Of edges.

Top with Italian sausage and Swiss cheese; carefully roll up. Place seam side down in a greased shallow 1-qt. Baking dish; top with spaghetti sauce.

Cover and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover; sprinkle with Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Let stand for 5 minutes top each roll with a little more cheese before serving. Yield: 8 servings