Cranberry Orange Bagels

My kitchen has been a hotbed of activity the last few days.  Final countdown to the biggest gastrointestinal day of the year...  I cannot WAIT!!!

I'll try to get up as many things as possible that I've been making, just in case some of you are in need of some last minute help.  Most of my craziness has revolved around dessert.  But as completely satisfying as dessert can be, we all know that a truly good day starts with a good breakfast, right?

Right.

Start your day with these beauties....

Cranberry Orange Bagels
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home Best Holiday Recipes 2011

1 cup plus 2 tbsp water
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
Zest from one orange
3 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 pkg active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp if you buy yeast in bulk)
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg white, beaten with a splash of water

1.  In a bread machine pan, place the water, cranberries, brown sugar, orange zest, salt, cloves, flour, and yeast in order suggested by manufacturer.  Select dough setting (Psst!!  You'll want to check on this dough to see if it may need a tablespoon or two of water or flour.  I found the dough to be really wet for me and added a little extra flour.)

Not much to look at right now

2.  When the cycle is complete, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Cover with a towel and let rise 10 minutes.  Divide dough into eight balls.  Push thumb through centers to form at least a 1-inch hole.  Stretch and shape dough to form an even ring.  Cover with the towel again and let rise for 20 minutes.

My bagel rings still don't win beauty pageants, but I'm improving!

3.  Fill a large, deep skillet with water; add sugar and bring to a boil.  Drop bagels, four at a time, into boiling water.  Cook for 45 seconds on each side.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.


4.  Place bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Brush the tops with the egg white wash.  Bake at 400 for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

I like my bagels as God intended: under MOUNDS of cream cheese.

I am a HUGE fan of the cranberry and orange flavor combination.  And since I discovered that making bagels really isn't quite as hard as I remembered, finding this version has me doing happy dances in the morning, even before my coffee!