Happy "cranberry inspired" New Year Recipes!

Happy New Year!  Here are a few recipes for your celebrations this evening and of course any other time you feel the fancy to bring a little "cranberry" cheer into your families and friends lives!  Here's to 2013 and cheers to everyone!

Berry Sweetheart (non-alcoholic) - courtesy of about.com

3 oz. cranberry juice                                     3 oz. apple juice
1 oz. honey                                                  Maraschino cherry for garnish

Fill a highball glass with ice cubes.  Add the juices and honey to a mixing glass.  Stir the ingredients with a spoon.  Pour the contents of the mixing glass into the highball glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.  Mocktails with cranberry juice are a good choice to offer guests at a party.  The cranberry adds a great snap to the drink.  

Mistletoe Martini - courtesy of about.com

2 oz. vodka                                                  2 oz. orange juice
3 oz. cranberry tea, chilled                           3/4 oz. lemon juice
3 tsp. sugar

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake well.  Strain into two chilled cocktail glasses.  If you're planning on making quite a few of these, consider steeping a large pot of tea so that it's ready for future drinks.

Woo Woo - courtesy of about.com 

2 oz. vodka                                                  1 Tbsp. peach schnapps
1/2 cup. cranberry juice                                Lime wedge

Place the lime wedge into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.  Add the other ingredients.  Shake well.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a lime wedge.  The cocktail can be transformed into a party punch by combining the ingredients in a quantity to fill a punch bowl and mixing it well before serving.  

Zippy Cranberry Appetizer - courtesy of Taste of Home

1/2 cup granulated sugar                                 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup water                                                   1 package (12 oz.) fresh/frozen cranberries
1-3 tablespoons prepared horseradish               1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened         
Assorted crackers

In a large saucepan, bring sugars and water to a boil over medium heat.  Stir in cranberries; return to a boil.  Cook for 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Cool.  

Stir in horseradish and mustard.  Transfer to a large bowl; refrigerate until chilled.  Just before serving, spread cream cheese over crackers; top with cranberry mixture.  

Yield:  2-1/2 cups; 10 servings

Cranberry, Crab Meat & Cream Cheese Appetizer - courtesy of Ocean Spray

1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce                              
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup minced crab meat
2 tablespoons green onion, white & green parts, sliced
15 individual mini-phyllo shells, thawed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees-F.  Place cranberry sauce in a small mixing bowl; beat with a fork or wire whisk until smooth.  Combine cream cheese, crab meat and green onion in a small mixing bowl.  Fill each shell with about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture.  Top with 1/2 teaspoon cranberry sauce.  Bake for 10 minutes or until heated through.  

Yield: 15 individual servings

Cranberry Inspired Recipes

Tis the season...and just in time for the holidays some cranberry inspired recipes to serve your guests or keep them and enjoy them yourself! 

Happy Holidays!  Bon Appetite! 

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti - courtesy of allrecipes.com

1/4 cup light olive oil                          1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar                             1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract                   1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract                1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 eggs                                                1 1/2 cup pistachio nuts*

(*if the pistachios are salted, omit the 1/4 teaspoon salt from the recipe)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugar until well blended.  Mix in vanilla and almond extracts, then beat in the eggs.  Combine flour, salt and baking powder; gradually stir into egg mixture.  Mix in cranberries and nuts by hand.

Divide dough in half.  Form two logs (12x2 inches) on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.  Dough may be sticky; wet hands with cool water to handle dough more easily.

Bake for 35 minutes in a preheated oven, or until logs are light brown.  Remove from oven, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 275 degrees F.  

Cut logs on diagonal into 3/4 inch thick slices.  Lay on sides on parchment covered cookie sheet.  Bake approximately 8-10 minutes, or until dry; cool.       

Yield:  3 dozen

Cranberry Bars - courtesy of allrecipes.com

1 (12 oz) package whole cranberries                       2 eggs
1 cup white sugar                                                  1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup water                                                       3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 (18.25 oz) package yellow cake mix                     1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup butter, melted                                          1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cranberries, white sugar and water.  Cook, stirring occasionally until all of the cranberries have popped and the mixture is thick, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, melted butter and eggs.  Stir in the oats, brown sugar, ginger and cinnamon.  Set aside about 1 1/2 cups of the mixture and spread the rest into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Pack down to form a solid crust, getting it as even as possible.  Spread the cooled cranberry mixture over the crust.  Pink off pieces of the remaining mixture and place evenly over the cranberry layer.  

Bake for 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is lightly browned.  Cool in the pan for about 40 minutes before slicing into bars.     

Cranberry Kitchen Cookies - courtesy of allrecipes.com 

1/2 cup butter                                           3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup white sugar                                      1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup packed brown sugar                       1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup milk                                             1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons orange juice                         1 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg                                                       2 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, roughly chopped*

(*use the food processor to chop the cranberries)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease cookies sheets.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, white sugar and brown sugar.  Beat in milk, orange juice and egg.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture.  Stir in chopped walnuts and cranberries.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake 10-15 minutes in a preheated oven, or until edges are golden.  Let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield:  12 dozen

Poinsettia - courtesy of about.com  

This Poinsettia is a champagne cocktail.

1/2 ounce of Cointreau or Triple Sec
Champagne
3 ounces of cranberry juice

Chill all of the ingredients beforehand.  Pour the Cointreau or Triple Sec and cranberry juice into a chilled champagne flute.  Stir well.  Top with a champagne of your choice.

Yield: 1 cocktail

(Remember that with any champagne cocktail to mix all of the ingredients then add champagne just before serving to ensure the freshest bubbly.)

December Newsletter - The Cranfest Scoop

Here is the last issue of The Cranfest Scoop for 2012.  Click here to read all about it!

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!

In this month's issue:

• Volunteer work day
• Holiday Display
• 2012 Donations
• 2012 Membership
• 2013 Membership Details
• Royalty News
• 2013 Membership Form
• Calendar of Events
• Cranberry Trivia
• Stocking Stuffer Ideas
• Cranberry Cuisine
• Volunteer Questionnaire