Tag: cranberries

Appetizers, Recipes

Cranberry Feta Pinwheels

Sarah

When I have a choice between bringing something sweet or something savory to a party, nine times out of ten I will choose sweet. Not that I necessarily like desserts that much more than appetizers, but to me, they are just easier. [I mean, unless I’m making cheesy quesadillas or microwave nachos at home…yeah…] However, after making this appetizer for our church’s yearly vision night, I might have to rethink that stance.

Cranberry Feta Pinwheels are fuss-free and amazing. They should be made ahead so that their flavors have a chance to meld, and so their sweet, tangy, creamy, and salty nature can shine through. Baked goods require tons of mixing, measuring, and pouring. Lots of dishes are involved and you have to follow the rules, or else what seemed amazing on paper will turn out like a rock. Or mush. Or some combination thereof. But these… these Cranberry Feta Pinwheels are fuss-free and amazing. They should be made ahead so that their flavors have a chance to meld, and so their sweet, tangy, creamy, and salty nature can shine through.

Cranberry Feta Pinwheels are fuss-free and amazing. They should be made ahead so that their flavors have a chance to meld, and so their sweet, tangy, creamy, and salty nature can shine through. I can’t wait to try these again… perhaps with some arugula, ham, or brown sugar pecans mixed in? They were fabulous and festive… without all the work of desserts. What more could you ask for?

Cranberry Feta Pinwheels

  • Servings: 50-60 pieces
  • Print

from Food.com

Ingredients:

  • 6 ounces sweetened dried cranberries
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 8-10 tortillas

Directions:

In a bowl combine cranberries, feta, and green onions. Add a little black pepper to taste. Then spread cream cheese on tortillas and spoon on cranberry mixture, approximately 1/4-1/3 of a cup per tortilla. Roll up tightly, place in a baking dish, and repeat until finished. Cover baking dish and refrigerate for an hour before cutting into 5-6 slices before serving.

Fruit, Sides

Crock Pot Cran-Apple Sauce

Sarah

Cranberries don’t have to be just served just on Thanksgiving and Christmas. They make a tasty addition to your table throughout the winter too. This post-holiday period is a great time to stock up on cranberries to freeze, and some grocery stores even carry them in the freezer section year-round.

Recently, I had some leftover cranberries to use up, so I decided to improvise on my own Crock Pot Chunky Applesauce recipe. Ben and I love the normal version, and make it quite often, so I thought the addition of cranberries would be a welcome alternative to the norm. And it was! Like my normal version, Crock Pot Cran-Apple Sauce is an easy chop-it, mix-it, and forget-about-it recipe that looks and tastes gourmet–with minimal effort. The tartness and bite of the cranberries paired perfectly with the sweet, chewy apples and also provided some naturally festive food coloring. Pretty food is always better, in my opinion, so whether you need a simple yet fancy side or a use for excess cranberries, give Crock Pot Cran-Apple Sauce a shot today!

Crock Pot Cran-Apple Sauce [adapted from my own Crock Pot Chunky Applesauce]
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounces cranberries [fresh or frozen], rinsed
  • 12 cups apples, roughly peeled and chopped [I used Gala and McIntosh]
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger

Directions:

Place all ingredients in crock pot and stir well to combine. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Don’t yield to the temptation to open the lid at all… it adds to the cooking time by releasing the heat. At the end of cooking, use a potato masher to crush apples and cranberries to desired texture, stir thoroughly and enjoy!

Note:

Feel free to add extra brown sugar at the end if it isn’t sweet enough for you.

Time: 8 hours and 15 minutes [15 minutes active].

Yield: about 12 cups.

Fruit, Recipes, Sides

Cranberry-Pineapple Sauce

Sarah

So, for a long time, I thought there was only one kind of acceptable cranberry sauce. And let me give you a hint: the stuff in the can is most definitely not it. See, I like it sweet and tart… like a cranberry, ya know, not all gelatinous, uber sweet, and shaped-like-a-can. However, over the past few years, I’ve tried some other varieties besides the traditional cranberry relish… and guess what? Some of them are pretty fabulous. I still like the original, but trying new things is fun.

cranberry pineapple sauce

My latest try combines sweet pineapple and tart cranberries and is nothing short of fabulous. It was on our Thanksgiving table, and I wanted to share it before Christmas so it can be on your table in a mere six days!! It was delicious atop turkey and with the traditional holiday spread, but it was the leftovers that really made this Cranberry-Pineapple Sauce stand out. I enjoyed it stirred into vanilla yogurt and as a dipping sauce for apples, and I hope you’ll try it too!

Cranberry-Pineapple Sauce [from Skinnytaste]
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
  • 20 ounce can crushed pineapple in pineapple juice
  • 1/3 cup sugar

Directions:

Drain liquid from pineapple into a measuring cup. Add water so that there is a a total of 1 cup of liquid. Pour liquid into a saucepan, stir in sugar, and bring to a boil.

Next, rinse cranberries and place in a food processor and pulse several times until roughly chopped. Stir into sugar mixture, then cook over medium heat until thick, approximately 10 minutes. Then fold in pineapples and cook for another minute. Cool then store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Time: 20 minutes.

Yield: 4 cups.

Breakfast, Granola, Recipes

Pumpkin Granola

Sarah

So, Labor Day has come and gone. Classes have begun. There’s a chill in the air and fall is definitely en route. I am so excited.  Summer is great and all, but I am just ready for a change. A change in weather, a change in clothing, and a change in food flavors.

One of my favorite flavors of fall is pumpkin. For longtime readers, that’s probably not a surprise, and for new readers–consider that a heads up for what you will experience over the coming months. 🙂 Though I hoarded stockpiled a dozen or so cans at the end of the holiday season last year just in case there was an unexpected pumpkin shortage, I’ve been a little reluctant to enjoy too much pumpkin over the summer months. It’s just not seasonally appropriate, you know? And there was just too many other fun seasonal treats to enjoy, like Roasted Tomato Sauce or Whole Wheat Zucchini Banana  Chocolate Chip Muffins.

But last week… I couldn’t wait any longer. I just had to crack open one of those lovely cans and fulfill my deepest craving and desire. I just couldn’t help it. It was inevitable. And guess what: I am not sorry.

Not sorry at all that this sweet, spicy Pumpkin Granola has been gracing my breakfast table over the past week or so.

Not sorry at all that while the granola was baking, my kitchen smelled like Yankee Candles–but naturally, not with the help of fragrances [delightful as they may be].

Not sorry at all that each crunchy bite incorporates hearty pumpkin, spicy cinnamon, sweet cranberries, and nutty almonds and pepitas.

Nope, I’m not sorry at all, and I’m pretty willing to bet that you won’t be either once you get a taste of this fantastic granola. So try it out, and welcome fall with a crunch!

So, what flavors are you most excited to experience this fall?

Pumpkin Granola [from The Sweets Life]
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/3 cup pepitas [pumpkin seeds]
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and grease with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together oats, nuts, and spices. In a smaller bowl, whisk pumpkin, maple syrup, vanilla, and cranberries then fold into dry ingredients.

Spread mixture onto baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every ten minutes, until granola is golden brown and crisp. Granola will continue to harden as it cools, so be careful of overbaking.

Serve plain, in cookies, with yogurt, etc. and store in an air-tight container.

Yield: 5-6 cups.

Time: 40-50 minutes [30-40 minutes active].

Breakfast, Recipes, Scones

Cranberry Scones

Sarah

cranberry scones under the Christmas treeIn my family, Christmas breakfast is a big deal. Every year since I can remember, we’ll take a pause from present-opening to have a delicious breakfast of egg souffle, fruit, sausage and a special breakfast sweet bread. Growing up, our tradition was to always have an apple coffee cake. Same recipe every year. Absolutely delicious. In more recent years though, we’ve altered that strategy, experimented a little more, and have tried out new recipes.

This year is no exception. I’m not entirely sure what my mom’s plotting for our Christmas breakfast bread, but I’m sure that it will be great. [I heard rumors of cinnamon rolls, but I won’t know until we arrive home later today…] With that in mind, please consider these cranberry scones as an option for your Christmas breakfast table.

These Cranberry Scones are perfect in so many ways. Their texture is light and fluffy. Each bite is buttery and rich, with a sweet-tart kick from the cranberry and lemon zest to balance out the richness. They are incredibly easy to make and shape [at least for scones], and look fancy for guest or family without requiring an excessive stint in the kitchen. Finally, they can be frozen and baked [or rebaked]… which is a plus for any holiday morn!

Cranberry Scones [from Annie’s Eats]

Ingredients:

  • zest of one lemon [approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons]
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces [I like to place the pieces in foil and stick them in the freezer until I’m ready for it.]
  • 1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries
  • 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk [save the white for breakfast!]
  • 1 cup heavy cream or half and half

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a food processor, mix lemon zest, flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and baking powder. Pulse several times to combine. Add the butter piece by piece, and pulse in between each addition. The texture should resemble coarse crumbs; continue to pulse until it does. Remove to a mixing bowl.

Place cranberries and sugar in food processor. [Don’t worry about cleaning out the bowl because the cranberries will be blended with the dough soon.] Pulse a couple of times to chop the cranberries and mix with the sugar. Stir cranberries into dough.

Meanwhile, whisk together the egg, yolk, and heavy cream. Pour into the dough and stir until just combined. Form into a ball and knead together several times in the mixing bowl.

Shape dough into 3 inch balls. Place several inches apart on a baking sheet and press down slightly to flatten dough.

Bake until golden brown, approximately 15  minutes. Serve warm.

Note:

If you don’t have a food processor, feel free to use a pastry blender or two knives to mix the dough and a sharp knife to chop the cranberries.

Click here for the printable version: Cranberry Scones

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Chicago Metallic.

Question of the Day: Do you have a special Christmas breakfast tradition?