Tag Archives: cranberry recipes

Lime Dark Rum Cranberry Relish

Posted on by November 24, 2014

I love cranberry relish, and no matter my theme, it’s going to be at my Thanksgiving table in some form or the other. So when I took on a Caribbean menu, there was no doubt that I would still make a cranberry relish no matter how foreign cranberries may be to the Caribbean and that was enough to make this Lime Dark Rum Cranberry Relish possible. I just needed to add the right flavors and accents to make the cranberry relish fit in with some of my more traditional dishes on the menu, like the jerk turkey. I also knew that since my classic relish is raw, I would need to combine it with a sauce of some sort if I wanted to sneak in something as bold as dark rum. So here we are with a best of both worlds Lime Dark Rum Cranberry Relish that combines a cranberry sauce and cranberry relish. While you’re making the relish, be sure to keep tasting both sauces throughout both processes (which is, of course, a good general practice) because while I like things a little tart, you may not, and should feel justified in upping the sugar just a bit here and … Continue reading →

Cranberry Frozen Margaritas

Posted on by February 12, 2015

Despite it being the middle of Winter, the high tomorrow is 61° F, so I feel comfortable getting back on the posting track with cold Cranberry Frozen Margaritas. The cranberries and limes make this Cranberry Frozen Margarita both seasonal and tart, but if you keep them in your freezer, you can have Cranberry Frozen Margaritas year ’round. And I have a great tip if you want to keep it simple, and skip all the juicing. Smoothie making has taught me several things in the last year. The most important: when you’re blending something, especially with a powerful blender, you don’t need to juice ANYTHING. Peel the lime and throw it straight in the blender. Add the cranberries, tequila, triple sec and ice. Blend until very smooth. These Cranberry Frozen Margaritas are definitely tart little drinks. Is super tart not your dish? Don’t worry, to make these less tart, use ½ a lime and one orange, and add an extra ¼ cup triple sec. But I like Cranberry Frozen Margaritas really tart. Cranberry Frozen Margaritas makes for an excellent Mocktail if you’re so inclined. Just use some orange juice and simple syrup to taste since you’re not using triple sec in the Cranberry Frozen … Continue reading →

Cranberry Butternut Squash Bread Pudding

Posted on by October 26, 2014

This Cranberry Butternut Squash Bread Pudding is a wonderful make-ahead Winter brunch dish. It’s great sweet or savory and I like it best served as breakfast, not dessert. In fact, this started as a very savory butternut squash bread pudding I made as a side years ago for Thanksgiving. Though it was good, it was too heavy for a Thanksgiving side. There was lots leftover and later that night, I caught my friend Anna digging it out of the fridge for a midnight snack. She had reheated it and was pouring maple syrup on it. We definitely agreed that it was better on its own than as a side. The next morning we centered the whole brunch around our late night discovery. Over time, it’s evolved. This version is a little on the sweet side to counter the very tart cranberries. Whenever you serve it, I know you’ll like it, and it doesn’t hurt that Cranberry Butternut Squash Bread Pudding is really beautiful on the plate. 8 oz cranberries 4 cups squash; peeled and diced 2 cups milk 4 eggs; separated ½ cup granulated sugar ½ cup maple syrup cinnamon nutmeg 1 tablespoon molasses vanilla 1 loaf baguette butter maple syrup … Continue reading →

Tart and Spicy Ginger Spritz Mocktail

Posted on by October 27, 2014

With all of the busy Thanksgiving posting and leftover making, I haven’t shared a cocktail in awhile, so I’m rectifying that today with a Tart and Spicy Ginger Spritz Mocktail. Over the holidays, as I hosted several delightful pregnant women, I was reminded of something. Did you know that you can make drinks without alcohol in them? Shocking, I know. But I haven’t posted a mocktail. Ever, it seems. It stems back to my no liquid calories that aren’t booze rule. But sometimes you have a party and there are people there that don’t drink. And then it’s really rude to dig to the back of your fridge and look for a really old soda that’s hopefully still sealed or some milk that’s past the expiration date. Or to begrudgingly pour them some of the mixers that are meant for the real drinks. No, we must rise and be the hosts we know ourselves to be this holiday season. We must make fabulous and spritzy beverages for all. All kidding aside, I almost always make an alcohol free version of my cocktails for parties. And the Tart and Spicy Ginger Spritz Mocktail is fun- the chili and the ginger give it … Continue reading →

Cranberry Caramel Tarts

Posted on by February 12, 2015

I absolutely adore these Cranberry Caramel Tarts. This was one of those desserts that I knew would be a favorite of mine, even before I tried it. And I was oh, so right, even with my ridiculously high expectations. The thing is, I REALLY love caramel. And cranberries. And almonds. These Cranberry Caramel Tarts may as well be named, Barrett’s Favorite Things Tarts. The tart cranberries balances out the sweet, rich caramel. Speaking of caramel, it’s one of those things that cooks can really fear, and to be fair it can be tricky for a variety of reasons, but the caramel in these Cranberry Caramel Tarts is a good beginner caramel recipe. After the caramel is made, it is baked in the tart, so the caramel filling will heat up, smooth out, and tends to come out well in the end even if it’s not perfectly smooth going into the oven. As if the wonderful filling weren’t enough to make this dessert stand out, a crust made with almond flour adds richness, tenderness and crunch. Finally, using slivered almonds, well, that’s my modus operandi; it ensures plenty of texture and almond taste. I serve these Cranberry Caramel Tarts with a little … Continue reading →

Apple Cranberry Pie with Cheese! Crust

Posted on by November 20, 2014

Sometimes the best dishes come about because I’ve forgotten about some ingredients that I don’t want to lose, like this Apple Cranberry Pie with Cheese! Crust. Ok, that’s an understatement. Worry about what’s still in the fridge happens to me a lot; it’s a peril of grocery shopping for a living. But this Apple Cranberry Pie with Cheese! Crust is a real winner. It all started with a trip to Wisconsin this summer. I got to go to a beautiful dairy, Upland Dairy, near Dodgeville and an awesome cheese shop in Madison, called Fromagination. In honor of my father I bought his favorite cheddar. It’s an aged bandaged cheddar from Bleu Mount Dairy. I also bought a lot of other special cheeses, but those were eaten right away. The other day I was cleaning out my cheese drawer, and what did I find, but the awesome cheddar. Epic fail! It was sort of dry. Rather than eat it in less than perfect condition, and rather than throw it away, I started brainstorming how to use a very dry cheddar that still had awesome flavor. It definitely needed to be grated, so the brainstorming started there. I didn’t have any pasta … Continue reading →