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Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Thanksgiving Dessert Countdown: Cranberries

Just a little photo to get you in the
giving mood.
Happy Tuesday! We're talking about nature's sweet tarts today; let's talk cranberries! Not just for sauce (or centerpieces!), cranberries make a grown up and elegant addition to the dessert table. I'm always saddened by the number of people who won't eat the pumpkin pie (who doesn't love pumpkin?!), and apple pie can get a little blah no matter how many times you add a twist with a cheddar cheese crust. Cranberry appeals to a different audience - perhaps those who prefer citrus cakes and curds. Enter the little red berry! Let's see some of our options:


For the aforementioned citrus lovers.
Lemon-Cranberry Pie Bars
Sarah Jordan

Ingredients
  • 1 cup cranberries
  • 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • Pinch of ground cloves
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • Baked Press-In Crust
  • Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a saucepan, simmer the cranberries with 1/4 cup of the sugar, the cloves and water over moderately low heat until the berries pop and the liquid thickens, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Strain and press the puree through a fine sieve set over a bowl and let cool completely.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining 2 1/2 cups of sugar with the eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour.
  3. Mix 1 cup of the lemon filling into the cranberry puree; pour the rest of the lemon filling into the crust. Swirl in the cranberry-lemon mixture. Bake for 35 minutes, or until set. Transfer the pan to a rack; let cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.
MAKE AHEAD: The bars can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature.


A combo for the crowd that can't wait for Christmas.
Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread
Melissa Clark

Ingredients
  • 2 cups/8 ounces/266 grams fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
  • 1 stick/4 ounces/113 gramsunsalted butter
  • ⅔ cup/133 grams dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup/120 milliliters whole milk
  • ½ cup/120 milliliters maple syrup
  • ¼ cup/60 milliliters molasses
  • 1 ½ cups/185 grams all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon/5 grams ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon/1 gram groundcinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon/3 grams baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon/3 grams kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon/1 gram baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon/14 grams grated fresh ginger (from 1-inch piece)
Directions
  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9-inch square or round baking pan with parchment.
  2. In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together cranberries, granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Stir the cranberries over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and cranberries form a sauce that is syrupy and bubbling thickly, about 10 minutes. Aim to have about half the cranberries broken down, with the remainder more or less whole.
  3. In a separate saucepan, stir together the butter, brown sugar, milk, maple syrup and molasses over medium heat. Bring it to just barely a simmer and then remove it from the heat. Do not let it come to a boil, or the mixture may curdle.
  4. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda and black pepper. Beat in the butter-maple syrup mixture and then beat in the eggs. Stir in the ginger.
  5. Scrape the batter into the pan. Drop fat dollops of cranberry sauce onto the surface of the cake batter. Drag a long, slender knife through the batter in a swirly design, as if you are marbling a cake. Transfer the cake to the oven and bake it until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire baking rack and let the cake cool completely before eating it.


For shortbread lovers (like my dad).
Cranberry Shortbread
Mary-Frances Heck

Ingredients
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
  • 1 10-ounce bag fresh (or frozen, thawed) cranberries
  • 1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated grapefruit zest
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8x2" pan with parchment, leaving a 2" overhang on 2 opposite sides. Whisk flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Using your fingertips, rub butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal.
  2. Transfer to prepared pan; press evenly onto bottom of pan (using the bottom of a flat measuring cup works well). Prick dough all over with a fork.
  3. Bake shortbread until cooked through and pale golden, 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely in pan. DO AHEAD: Shortbread can be made 3 days ahead. Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
  4. Bring remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cups cranberries, and grapefruit juice to a simmer in a small saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst and mixture is syrupy, about 8 minutes. Stir in remaining cranberries and cook until skins begin to split, about 3 minutes. Let cool. DO AHEAD: Cranberry topping can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.
  5. Spread cooled cranberry topping over shortbread. Scatter zest over. Using paper overhang, lift shortbread from pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut shortbread.
Happy baking!

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