‘Tis Cranberry Season

Cranberries are a favourite holiday staple. Originally served as a jelly or compote along with the traditional North American turkey dinner, the shiny, plump berry has become a colourful and flavourful ingredient in cakes, tarts, muffins, and scones. Cranberry wine and cranberry juice complete the many ways in which this versatile fruit can be used.

In the following recipes, cranberries are added to a sweet sauce for eggnog custard, baked in an almond pudding, and used to add tang to a moist coffee cake. Frozen cranberries should be completely thawed and at room temperature before adding to custards and batter.
 

Eggnog Custard With Candied Cranberries

Makes 4 servings

Candied Cranberries:

175 ml (3/4 cup) sugar

50 ml (1/4 cup) water
250 ml (1 cup) fresh cranberries
5 ml (1 tsp) orange zest
 

Custard:

500 ml (2 cup) whole milk
50 ml (1/4 cup) sugar
4 egg yolks
10 ml (2 tsp) all-purpose flour
5 ml (1 tsp) pure vanilla extract
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Mint leaves for garnish

To make candied cranberries, dissolve sugar in water in a small saucepan, add cranberries and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in orange zest and cool.

To make custard, combine the milk and sugar in the top of a double boiler and heat to almost boiling. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs. Slowly add the hot milk mixture to the eggs combining thoroughly. Stir in the flour. Pour mixture back into the pot and cook until mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla and nutmeg and cover with plastic wrap. Cool for 30-40 minutes. Layer the candied cranberries alternately with the custard in individual glasses. Scoop a little of the candied cranberries onto the top of each pudding. Serve warm or cold.

Cranberry Clafouti

Serves 8

1 litre (4 cups) fresh cranberries 
4 eggs, beaten
125 ml (1/2 cup) sugar
50 ml (1/4 cup) liquid honey
5 ml (1 tsp) almond extract
125 ml (1/2 cup) whipping cream
250 ml (1 cup) ground almonds
125 ml (1/2 cup) breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 200º C (400º F). Butter a 1 litre (4 cup) casserole dish. Put cranberries in dish. Beat together eggs, sugar, honey, almond extract, whipping cream, almonds and breadcrumbs. Pour over cranberries and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with ice cream.
 

Cranberry Snacking Cake

Makes 9 squares

Crumble Topping:

50 ml (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
50 ml (1/4 cup) light brown sugar, lightly packed
2 ml (1/2 tsp) cinnamon
50 ml (1/4 cup) butter, chilled and cubed

Cake:

75 ml (1/3 cup) butter, softened
125 ml (1/2 cup) sugar
1 egg
50 ml (1/4 cup) milk
2 ml (1/2 tsp) lemon juice
2 ml (1/2 tsp) vanilla extract
175 ml (3/4 cup) All-purpose flour
2 ml (1/2 tsp) baking powder
.5 ml (1/8 tsp) baking soda
1 ml (1/4 tsp) ground allspice
Pinch of salt
375 ml (1 1/2 cups) whole cranberries
Confectioner’s sugar for decoration

Crumble Topping:

Mix together flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter with knives or pastry cutter until crumbly. Set aside

Cake:

Preheat oven to 180º C (350º F). Cream butter until light and fluffy, add sugar and egg, mixing well. Stir in buttermilk, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, and salt and add to creamed butter mixture. Fold in cranberries.

Pour batter into a buttered 20-cm (8-inch) square baking dish and smooth top. Sprinkle topping over and bake for 50-60 minutes. When a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean the cake is done.  Cool and cut into squares. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.