Raisins and Dried Fruit Add New Twist to Classic Holiday Dishes

Heritage Brand Sun-Maid Shares Favorite Fall Recipes that Add Flavor and Valuable Nutrients to Seasonal Foods

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Nov 16, 2010, 11:03 ET

KINGSBURG, Calif., Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- To help consumers prepare for the upcoming holiday season, Sun-Maid, the largest producer and processor of the "world's favorite raisin" and other premium dried fruit, is providing some of its top seasonal recipes featuring autumn flavors and the brand's all-natural, quality products. Raisins and dried fruits are a staple of holiday dishes that have been enjoyed by generations of families and add great flavor and valuable nutrients to enhance your Thanksgiving dinner and traditional holiday foods.

"People consume raisins and dried fruit all year long, whether as part of their favorite recipes or as a snack, but the holiday season has always been a popular time," said Arianna Carughi, the health & nutrition research coordinator at Sun-Maid. "Raisins and dried fruits are naturally no fat and cholesterol free ingredients that are an easy way to enrich classic dishes and desserts with essential nutrients, health-promoting antioxidants and fiber while incorporating new flavors and textures that friends and family are sure to love."

Here are some tasty new recipes from Sun-Maid to enhance your next holiday gathering:

•	Quick Side Dish Stuffing
	Raisins provide one serving of fruit* in just a 1/4 cup and have long been incorporated into stuffing and dressing recipes that accompany holiday dinners. Sun-Maid's Quick Side Dish Stuffing combines raisins with warm pecans, stuffing mix and chopped vegetables for the perfect balance of sweet and savory. This stuffing can be cooked on the stove or baked as a casserole and, no matter how it is made, the leftovers taste just as good as the first helping!

•	Sweet and Savory Fruited Yams
	For those who love to include candied yams on the holiday menu, Sun-Maid's Sweet and Savory Fruited Yams is the perfect dish to make that will satisfy your sweet tooth without packing on the pounds. At only 200 calories per serving, Sun-Maid raisins join bits of pineapple and apples to naturally sweeten the yams and add texture to this popular side dish.

•	Autumn Apple Pie
	Nothing says fall like warm apple pie. But the dried fruit and almonds included in Sun-Maid's Autumn Apple Pie recipe adds a new fiber- and antioxidant-rich twist on a traditional treat. Incorporating Sun-Maid dried apricots, golden raisins and tart cherries among the apples gives this pie a sweet bite while the familiar spices of cinnamon and nutmeg enhance the natural fruit flavors.

•	Raisin Bread Apple Crisp
	If you're looking for an easy-to-make recipe with just a handful of ingredients, try Sun-Maid's Raisin Bread Apple Crisp. In addition to raisins and dried fruit, the Sun-Maid brand is also found on a line of baked goods such as raisin bread, which is the main ingredient in this dish. Mix in butter, brown sugar, walnuts and apples, and after baking for 40 minutes, you will have a delectable crisp that not only tastes great, but it will make your house smell wonderful, too.

•	Pumpkin Raisin Party Cupcakes
	Holidays often bring families together. And when it comes to helping out in the kitchen, no one is more eager than kids! With Sun-Maid's Pumpkin Raisin Party Cupcakes, kids can help you decorate these spiced pumpkin and raisin cupcakes by topping them off with an autumn-toned frosting and adding sprinkles or candy corns. Sun-Maid also offers a short-cut version of this recipe for those who are short on prep time or have an empty spice rack.

To access these and a variety of other delicious recipes featuring Sun-Maid raisins and dried fruit, visit www.sunmaid.com/en/recipes.html.

About Sun-Maid

Founded in 1912, Sun-Maid Growers of California is the world's largest producer and processor of raisins and other premium quality dried fruits including prunes, dried apricots, figs, dates, dried peaches, and dried apples. The "Sun-Maid Girl" was trademarked in 1916 and is the leading consumer brand of raisins and dried fruits in the United States and is distributed to 50 countries worldwide. Ingredient customers utilize Sun-Maid raisin products in a wide variety of cereals, breads and snack items. As a farmers' cooperative, Sun-Maid is owned by 750 family farmers and its facilities are centrally located in California in the heart of the world's largest sun-dried raisin producing area. Sun-Maid growers use ripe, flavorful grapes and California's sunshine to bring you Sun-Maid California raisins, a tasty, nutritious and convenient food for kids and parents alike. Sun-Maid's Raisins are – Just Grapes and Sunshine! For more information, please visit www.sunmaid.com.

* as indicated by the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid

SOURCE Sun-Maid Growers of California