Cranberries much more than a Thanksgiving side

Decades ago cranberries used to be boring Just a ho-hum side dish that made holiday appearances and disappeared into culinary obscurity the rest of the year Often cranberries were entirely dumped from a can either jellied or sauced When jellied they conformed to the shape of the can cut the jiggly slices toppled like cascading dominos Seems like mundane treatments for a berry so revered by Native Americans long before the arrival of the first Europeans These tangy berries deserve more respect Over the last couple of decades or so they ve gotten it Now culinary movers and shakers place fresh cranberries in more prominent roles The combination of flavors in this pie is blissful the sweetness of the apples merrily dancing with the tart edge of the cranberries I like to serve this pie with either sweetened whipped cream or ice cream TAG GOES HERE Apple Cranberry Pie INGREDIENTS cups fresh or frozen cranberries cup orange juice cup granulated sugar plus tablespoon for top of pie divided use teaspoon ground cinnamon divided use teaspoon salt divided use cup water tablespoon cornstarch pounds sweet apples to medium peeled cored and cut into -inch-thick slices such as Gala Fuji Golden Delicious or Jonagold Pie Dough for double crust recipe follows egg white beaten lightly For serving sweetened whipped cream or ice cream Cook s notes After microwaving the sliced apples in step I sometimes have a large amount of juice that isn t the least bit thick I pour off the juice into a small saucepan boil it to reduce it by half and then return it to the apples to cool To prevent the fluted rim of pie from over-browning I place a pie shield on the rim after the first minutes in the oven in step A pie shield is a ring made of metal or silicone If you don t have one you can use strips of aluminum foil to shield the rim DIRECTIONS Bring cranberries juice cup sugar teaspoon cinnamon and teaspoon salt to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat Cook stirring occasionally and pressing berries against side of pot until berries have entirely broken down and juices have thickened to jamlike consistency wooden spoon scraped across bottom should leave clear trail that doesn t fill in to minutes Remove from heat stir in water and cool to room temperature about minutes Meanwhile mix cup sugar remaining teaspoon cinnamon remaining teaspoon salt and cornstarch in large microwave-safe bowl add apples and toss to combine Microwave on high power stirring with rubber spatula every minutes until apples are just starting to turn translucent around edges and liquid is thick and glossy to minutes see cook s notes Cool to room temperature about minutes Take disks of dough out of the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for to minutes While fillings cool adjust oven rack to lowest position place rimmed baking sheet on oven rack and heat oven to degrees Roll out one disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to a -inch thickness Place in pie pan leaving at least -inch overhang Transfer cooled cranberry mixture to dough-lined pie pan and spread into even layer Place apple mixture on top of cranberries mounding slightly in center push down any sharp apple edges Roll second disk of dough until it is -inch thick on lightly floured surface Place dough on top of filling Trim overhang to -inch Fold dough under itself so that edge of fold is flush with outer rim of pie pan Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with tines of fork to seal Brush top and edges of pie with egg white and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar Using sharp paring knife cut four -inch long slits in top of dough think of a clock for slit placement at positions Place pie on preheated rimmed baking sheet and bake until top is light golden brown to minutes See cook s notes Reduce oven temperature to degrees rotate baking sheet and continue to bake until crust is deep golden brown to minutes longer Transfer pie to wire rack to cool at least hours Cut into wedges and serve with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream Yield servings Source Adapted from America s Test Kitchen Homemade pie dough for an Apple Cranberry Pie can be made a day in advance and refrigerated in plastic wrap Photo by Cathy Thomas TAG GOES HERE Double Crust Pie Dough INGREDIENTS cups all-purpose flour teaspoon sugar teaspoon table salt sticks cup cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces to tablespoons ice water drain off ice just before use measure without ice DIRECTIONS Pulse the flour sugar and salt in a food processor until combined for about seconds Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with chosen pea-size pieces remaining Drizzle tablespoons ice water over the mixture pulse several times to combine Add more water tablespoon at a time and pulse until the mixture holds together when pinched For a -inch pie shape dough into disks and wrap each in plastic Refrigerate for at least hour and up to day before using The dough rolls out easier when it is out of the refrigerator for to minutes Yield Double pie crust for -inch pie Source Adapted from Martha The Cookbook Favorite Recipes with Lessons and Stories from My Kitchen Cranberry Spice Cake is spiked with two cups of chopped fresh cranberries to give it an inviting sweet-tart perkiness Photo by Nick Koon Orange County Register SCNG The tartness of fresh cranberries pairs well with sweet buttery baked goods This sweet-tart cake is delicious for breakfast or served as a holiday dessert accompanied with sweetened whipped cream or cr me fraiche sweetened with powdered sugar to taste and a smidgen of vanilla extract Cake can be made days ahead Store airtight at room temperature TAG GOES HERE Cranberry Spice Cake INGREDIENTS Cake Nonstick vegetable oil spray cups all-purpose flour teaspoon ground cinnamon teaspoon kosher salt teaspoon ground cardamom teaspoon baking powder teaspoon baking soda cups ounces fresh or frozen thawed cranberries cup granulated sugar cup packed dark brown sugar cup canola oil large eggs cup sour cream tablespoon freshly grated orange zest teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest teaspoon vanilla extract cup apple cider or apple juice Lemon glaze cup powdered sugar teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice teaspoon kosher salt For serving sweetened whipped cream or cr me fraiche DIRECTIONS For cake Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to degrees Coat bottom and sides of -inch square baking pan with nonstick spray Line bottom with parchment paper coat paper with spray Whisk flour and next ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside Pulse cranberries in a food processor until finely chopped but not pur ed set aside Stir sugar brown sugar and oil in another medium bowl to blend Add eggs one at a time stirring to blend between additions Whisk in sour cream orange zest lemon zest and vanilla Whisk in dry ingredients in additions alternating with apple cider or juice in additions and whisking to blend Fold in chopped cranberries Scrape batter into prepared pan smooth top Bake rotating pan halfway through until a tester inserted into center of cake comes out almost clean to minutes Transfer pan to a wire rack let cake cool in pan for minutes Run a thin knife around inside of pan to release cake turn the cake onto rack Peel off parchment paper then flip cake and let cool for minutes For lemon glaze Whisk powdered sugar lemon zest lemon juice and salt in a small bowl Spread glaze over warm cake allowing it to drip down sides Let stand until glaze becomes crackly about hour Serve at room temperature Yield servings Source Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine Quesadillas featuring leftover turkey are served with Cranberry Salsa Photo by Nick Koon Orange County Register SCNG Cranberry Salsa is a blend of sweet spicy and tart flavors It goes splendidly with Mexican food made with leftover turkey or chicken enchiladas tacos or simple quesadillas taste glorious with a spoonful of Cranberry Salsa on top It s also scrumptious spooned over Brie or goat cheese Preparation is easy all the ingredients are placed in a food processor and pulse-chopped together It can be refrigerated for up to one week but it is best to leave out the cilantro if it is refrigerated for more than two days In that episode add the cilantro before serving TAG GOES HERE Cranberry Salsa INGREDIENTS cup frozen orange juice concentrate thawed cup fresh or frozen cranberries red bell pepper cored and seeded coarsely chopped fresh jalapeno chili seeds and veins removed minced see cook s notes medium red onion peeled and coarsely chopped teaspoon cumin seed cup washed and drained cilantro coarsely chopped see cook s notes Cook s notes Use caution when working with fresh chilies Wash work surface and hands thoroughly upon completion do NOT touch your eyes DIRECTIONS For turkey quesadillas work in batches Heat teaspoons vegetable oil in a -inch nonstick skillet on medium place flour tortilla in the skillet Top with teaspoon finely diced red onion to tablespoons shredded cheese such as the packaged -cheese Mexican shredded cheeses and shredded cooked turkey Top with more cheese and second tortilla Cook for minutes until golden then flip over and cook a further to minutes until the other side is golden and the cheese has melted Transfer to cutting board and cut into wedges Place all salsa ingredients in a food processor fitted with the metal blade pulse until ingredients are coarsely chopped Yield cups