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Cranberry Recipes
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Fresh cranberries are small,
round, shiny, crimson colored berries that are harvested in the Fall. They
are the
last berry of the season and what makes them different from other berries is that
they do not easily spoil. Cranberries have this hard outer shell that keeps
them fresh for up to two months when refrigerated and they can be frozen for
up to one year.
The tartness of the
cranberry make it one of the few berries never to be eaten raw. Sugar, and
lots of it, is needed
to tame its sour flavor. The most famous way to use cranberries is in a
sauce which we like to serve with our Thanksgiving turkey. Cranberry
sauce takes fresh or frozen cranberries and cooks them slowly with water and sugar until
they soften and start to pop. Since cranberries are high in pectin,
which is a natural jelling agent, no thickening
agent (like cornstarch (corn flour)) is needed. Cranberries are also
wonderful when added to sweets like cookies, pies, quick
breads, muffins, cakes, cobblers, and puddings. You will find their tart
flavor is enhanced by spices like ground cinnamon,
cloves, vanilla, and/or ginger. Cranberries also pair well with nuts and
other fruits like apples, pears, lemons, and oranges.
Fresh cranberries can also
be dried and in recent years dried cranberries have become very popular.
Dried cranberries are cranberries that have most of their moisture
removed (up to 80%) through drying, either by machine or by the sun. The
advantage of drying any fruit is to prolong its storage but it has the added
benefit of concentrating the fruit's sweetness and flavor. Continued below....
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Candied Cranberries |
Cran-Raspberry Sauce |
Ricotta Cheesecake with Cran-Raspberry Sauce |
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The sweet tart flavor of
candied cranberries makes them ideal to use as a filling for cakes or as
an alternative to fresh or dried fruit in your baking.
more |
Cran-Raspberry Sauce is a
sweet and tangy sauce made with a combination of cranberries and
raspberries, along with sugar and a little lemon zest.
more |
Ricotta and cream
cheese are used in this cheesecake which makes it both light and fluffy
and smooth and creamy.
more |
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Cranberry Christmas Cake |
Cranberries |
Cranberry Cream Cheese Tart |
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This
Cranberry Christmas Cake consists of a chocolate genoise that is
split in half, filled with chocolate cream and candied cranberries,
and covered with a snowy white whipped cream frosting.
more |
The tartness of the
cranberry make it one of the few berries never to be eaten raw. Sugar
is needed to temper its tangy flavor. Cranberries are used in both sweet
and savory dishes. more |
This lovely Cream
Cheese Tart has a graham cracker crumb crust, a no-bake
cheesecake-like filling, that is topped with a Cran-Raspberry Sauce.
more |
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Cranberry Pear and Apple Crumble |
Cranberry Galette |
Cranberry Nut Tarts |
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The
delicious combination of sweet pears, tart cranberries, and crisp
apples, along with a crumble topping, make for a perfect Fall
dessert. more |
This makes the perfect
Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert; ruby red cranberries and walnuts
encased in a buttery flavored pastry.
more |
Individual tarts made with a
sweet pastry crust and filled with ruby red cranberries and nuts covered
in creamy caramel. more |
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Cranberry Orange Bread |
Pumpkin Cranberry Bars |
Cranberry Scone |
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Cranberry Orange Bread
combines the tartness of fresh cranberries with the sweet citrus flavor
of freshly squeezed orange juice. Delicious!
more |
Pumpkin Cranberry Bars
are moist and full of flavor and beg to be cut into large chunks and
served with a steaming hot cup of coffee or tea.
more |
There are lots of scone
recipes milling about, but this rich flavored cream scone is what I like
to serve with Devonshire Cream and either jam or lemon curd.
more |
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Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti |
Pumpkin Cranberry Bread |
Cranberry & White Chocolate Shortbreads |
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This biscotti makes the
perfect Christmas cookie, combining bright red dried cranberries with
lovely green pistachios.
more |
As its name implies, this
quick bread is full of the flavors of pumpkin and fresh cranberries.
Sweet and moist its flavor is enhanced by freshly squeezed orange juice
and zest. more |
Cranberry & White Chocolate
Shortbreads have a delicious buttery flavor that are full of dried
red cranberries and chunks of white chocolate. |
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Cranberry Pistachio Shortbreads |
Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake |
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These rich and buttery
Cranberry Pistachio Shortbreads are dressed for the holidays with their
chunks of green pistachio nuts and dried red cranberries.
more |
Cranberry Swirl Cheescake
combines two favorites, a New York Style Cheesecake and ruby red
cranberry sauce.
more |
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Dried
cranberries are soft and chewy with a sweet tart flavor which makes them ideal for both eating
out-of-hand and in baking. They can be found in most grocery
stores as well as health food stores. Dried cranberries can be used in most
recipes that call for fresh cranberries and can also be used in place of
raisins, currants, dried cherries, and other dried fruits. If you need to re-hydrate dried
cranberries, cover them with a hot liquid (water, liqueur, etc.), cover and
let stand for 20-30 minutes, then drain.
There are a few things to
keep in mind when buying dried fruits. First, try to buy in bulk from a
grocery store or natural food store that has a high turnover. Not only will
the fruit be fresher, but you can see, smell, feel, and often taste the
fruit to make sure it is fresh and of high quality. Pre-packaged fruit can
also be excellent but it is harder to tell the quality of the fruit through
the plastic bag. Make sure to check the expiration date on the bag. Always
look for dried fruit that is plump, moist, and has good color. Never buy
fruit that is dried out or moldy. There is a debate about whether to buy 'sulphured' or 'unsulphured' dried fruits. Some like to buy 'sulphured'
which means that it has been treated with a sulphur dioxide solution. This
preserves the fruit's bright color and makes the fruit very soft and moist. The downside is
that some people can taste the preservative while others are allergic. Of
course, 'unsulphured' means it has not been treated before it is dried and
some say the flavor of untreated dried fruits is far superior. The downside is
that the fruit's color may be slightly faded looking, especially
dried fruits (like apples, pears, and bananas) that oxidize
quickly.
Sources:
Daley, Regan. 'In the Sweet
Kitchen." Random House Canada: 2000.
Ferrary, Jeannette & Fiszer,
Louise. Sweet Onions & Sour Cherries. Simon & Schuster. New York:
1992.
Hibler, Janie. The Berry
Bible. William Morrow. New York: 2000.
Scofield Wilson, David & Kress
Gillespie, Angus. Rooted in America. The University of Tennessee
Press. Knoxville: 1999.
Smith, Andrew F. The Oxford
Companion to American Food and Drink. Oxford University Press. New
York: 2007.
Waters, Alice. Chez Panisse
Fruit. Harper Collins Publishers. New York: 2002
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