Category: cooking with fresh fruit

Cranberry Sauce

Leave a comment

Why do I love cranberry sauce?  Let me count the reasons why.  It’s tart, it’s fresh, it’s festive and bright, and can be used a million different ways.  While I always make homemade cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, this year’s batch was particularly special because I made it for both my family’s Thanksgiving and the “friendsgiving” dinner I hosted for the seven lovely members of my euchre club.  The sauce was such a hit with my friends that I even took the time to write out the recipe and instructions in a lengthy group email that included all of the Thanksgiving recipes I prepared for the dinner.  And, one friend’s gracious compliment of making every single recipe for her family’s Thanksgiving is, in part, what inspired me to revamp my blog and share my recipes with more people.

Some may find cranberry sauce to be just another traditional side dish on the Thanksgiving table, but the recipe I’ve used for years has a subtle spiciness and a hint of citrus that makes it stand out among everything else on the table.  I’ve included the original Rachael Ray recipe below along with many ideas of how to use cranberry sauce for more than just an accompaniment to turkey.  Especially during the holidays, cranberry sauce is great to have on hand for last minute appetizers and desserts.  I had a small get together at my house the night of Christmas, and guess what I had on hand?  Cranberry Sauce!  I used it for cheese and crackers and as a topping for plain cheesecake that was sitting in my fridge.  Next year I might even jar up the cranberry sauce and give it away as gifts!

What I used:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger (I use 1 teas dried, ground ginger b/c I always have it on hand)
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 (12 oz) bag fresh cranberries

Optional:  2 rosemary sprigs (removed shortly after adding the fresh cranberries)

How I made it:
In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup water with the sugar, cinnamon stick, ginger, orange peel, salt and cloves. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the cranberries (I usually remove the cinnamon stick at this point, but you can leave it in until the very end for a stronger flavor) and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and remove the cinnamon stick. Let cool.

My favorite uses for cranberry sauce:

  • served atop a cracker and a slice of white cheddar cheese
  • as a spread on a turkey sandwich
  • mixed with vanilla yogurt, topped with granola
  • as a topping over plain cheesecake

Blueberry Lemon Crumb Bars

Leave a comment

This is an ode to my dear friend, Jocelyn.  I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who loved dessert in the form a bar more than her.  In fact, before I met Jocelyn I didn’t realize an appreciation for dessert bars existed.  For some reason, I also associate summer time with Jocelyn, so this was a natural fit.

From a baker’s perspective (this baker’s perspective anyway) creating a bar is a lot like making simple cookie dough without the hassle of scooping and baking several cookies – you just throw the dough onto a sheet pan and when it’s done and cooled all you have to do is cut into little squares or rectangles and the bars automatically look absolutely adorable.  So, I guess my secret is out of the bag: I like to make dessert bars because they are easy.  Bars also tend to contain layers and fruit components, which is always impressive.  I will admit that I use a ruler and straight edge to measure my bars before cutting them with a sharp knife that gets cleaned after every cut to ensure that each bar looks perfect, but they are still easy to make.

Here is my very “summery” dessert bar recipe that was adapted from a random promotional Kraft foods magazine and won the heart of Jocelyn:

what I used:

½ cup butter, melted
1 package yellow, white or lemon cake mix (whatever I have on hand)
2 eggs
2 tsp lemon zest
3 tbls lemon juice
2 blocks (8 oz each) cream cheese
½ cup sugar
2 ½ cups blueberries (rinsed)

how I made it:

pre-heat oven to 350°.  Line a 13×9” pan (I use a glass baking dish) with foil or parchment paper (enough to be able to pull out of the pan on each side once cooled).

Combine melted butter with cake mix, 1 egg and 1 tbls of the lemon juice.  Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the lined pan.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg, lemon zest and remaining 2 tbls lemon juice with a mixer and pour over the pressed crust.  Top with blueberries and sprinkle the top with the remaining crumb mixture.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the center is almost set.  Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack and refrigerate for an hour before cutting into squares (see method above).

I pull the bars out with the parchment or foil onto a cutting board so I have a completely flat surface for cutting and can go to town with the ruler and straight edge.  Wiping a sharp knife with a damp cloth or paper towel between each slice really gives the bars a beautiful presentation and allows the layers to shine through in each bar.