Cranberry Apple Pie

Cranberry Season is drawing to a close which always makes me run to the store and buy a few extra bags. I love cranberries in everything. My son loves to make this pie and it is delicious!

Cranberry Apple Pie

Pastry for two pie crusts (pate brisee is my favourite)

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup flour

4 cups sliced tart apples

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

2 Tbsp butter

Heat oven to 425. Prepare pastry. Stir together sugar and flour. In pie pan, alternate layers of apples ,cranberries and sugar mixture, beginning and ending with apple layers. Dot top with butter. Cover with top crust and cut slits. Seal and flute edges. Cover edges with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, remove foil during last 15 minutes of baking. Bake 40-50 minutes until crust is brown. Cool. Serves 8.

Recipe Source: Slightly modified from my mom's old orange Betty Crocker cookbook

Tart cranberry dipping sauce and jam

Tart Cranberry Dipping Sauce
1 lb frozen cranberries
2 cups orange juice
3 cups ginger ale
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 orange, zested

Combine ingredients in non reactive saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30-45 minutes, until liquid is reduced by half.
Carefully puree until smooth. Check seasoning. Serve in small ramekins with turkey. Reserve leftover (not used for dipping) for jam recipe below.



Tart Cranberry Jam 
(for turkey sandwiches!)

2 cups tart cranberry dipping sauce (above)
4 ounces ginger ale
1 cup sugar

Combine all the ingredients into a small, non-reactive saucepan.
Bring to a simmer and reduce by two-thirds or until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of a loose jam. Remember to keep the heat low to prevent the jam from burning. Store in fridge.

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread or muffins

3 cups flour
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1 1/4 tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger & allspice)
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1/2 cup orange juice
zest of 1 orange
1 cup cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans or spray muffin tins. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Combine wet ingredients in separate bowl, ebat until just blended. Add to flour mixture, stir until moistened. Fold in cranberries. Spoon into pans.

Bake loaves for 60-65 minutes or muffins for 15-20 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks.

Cranberry Salsa

12 oz pkg fresh cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 med. jalepeno, remove seeds
1 green onion
1-2 Tbsp fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp cumin
8 oz brick cream cheese, softened.

Put all ingredients except cream cheese in food processor, process until mixture is coarsely chopped. Storei n refrigerator overnight to allow flavors to blend. Pour over cream cheese and enjoy.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

I love muffins! Here is a delicious way to use all the lovely fresh cranberries that are on sale at the store right now. (Or freeze them to make these any time. They are delicious!

Cranberry Orange Muffins (makes about 30)
2 cups wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp grated orange zest
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Lightly grease muffin pans.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Stir in orange zest and cranberries. In a large bowl beat butter sugar and egg until smooth. Stir in juice. Add flour mixture, stirring until just moistened. Scoop into muffin cups making them about 2/3 full and bake about 25 minutes or until muffin bounces back when you press lightly on top.

Cran Apple tart

Yummy, delicious, and a great way to use canned cranberry sauce. This whips up quickly in the mornings and is very tasty. Using the pureed cottage cheese in the dough makes it have more protein as well, so that it's healthier! Photo is about 1/3 of the tart left. It was gone shortly after the photo!

1/3 cup cottage cheese, pureed in food processor
2 T butter
2 cups baking mix (make your own directions here)
1/3 cup milk
8 oz canned whole cranberry sauce
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1 T brown sugar
1 T cinnamon
(glaze)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 T milk
1 T juice
1 tsp butter, melted

Heat oven to 425 F.
Mix butter and baking mix, then add milk and make biscuit dough. Roll out on a floured surface to 12x8 rectangle.
Mix cranberry sauce, apple, sugar, cinnnamon, spread down middle of dough. Fold over sides. Cut slits in tops, at intervals.
Bake 12-15 minutes.
Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over tart. Serve.