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.)