How To Make Cranberry Desserts
Use fresh, frozen or dried cranberries or opt for cranberry sauce in some cases to create these desserts any time of the year.
Cranberries can be made into delicious desserts. Following are recipes for a cake, cookies, tart and gelatin dessert for you to enjoy. Whenever possible fresh cranberries have an alternative for either cranberry sauce or dried cranberries so you can make these in the middle of the summer if you want, and you will want to.
Cranberry Bundt Cake
Cake
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons orange rind, grated (reserve orange for glaze)
1 cup whole cranberries or decrease buttermilk to ¾ cup and add 1 cup whole cranberry sauce (1/2 a can)
1 cup dates, chopped
1 cup pecans, chopped
Directions:
1. In mixing bowl cream sugar and shortening.
2. Add eggs one at a time.
3. In another bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and ginger.
4. Add alternately with buttermilk and beat until smooth.
5. Hand stir in the orange rind, cranberries, dates and pecans.
6. Pour into Bundt pan and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean.
7. Let cool for 15 minutes.
8. Invert cake onto plate and let cool completely before glazing.
Glaze
½ cup confectioner’s sugar
enough fresh squeeze orange juice to make a slightly thick but drippy consistency (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon grated orange rind.
1. Mix the sugar and orange juice until correct consistency.
2. Add the orange rind to the glaze and drip over cake or wait and sprinkle orange rind over after cake has been glazed.
Cranberry Cookies
These cookies are soft and delicious drop cookies that anyone would like. If desired stir in about ½ cup of dried cranberries or raisins.
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
¼ cup milk
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon orange rind, grated
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries, or omit orange juice and add ¾ cup whole cranberry sauce
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl cream butter and both sugars.
3. Add egg, milk and orange juice and rind and mix well.
4. In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
5. Add gradually to creamed mixed mixture.
6. Stir Cranberries or sauce in by hand.
7. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 13 to 15 minute or until brown.
8. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 5 dozen.
Cranberry Tart
This tart is so good you will want it again and again. Unfortunately there is no alternate for the fresh cranberries except frozen ones. If you want to keep making this dessert all year round you’ll have to freeze some cranberries.
1 single pie crust
7 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (no alternate)
2 – ½ cups sugar – divided
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons butter
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place pie crust in pan and then line entire shell with foil and fill with dry beans or rice (to weigh it down).
3. Bake 25 minutes.
4. Remove beans and foil, prick bottom and sides of crust with a fork and replace in oven for about 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Remove and cool.
6. Turn oven down to 375 degrees.
7. In a bowl combine cranberries, ¾ cup of the sugar, orange rind, cinnamon and salt.
8. In a food processor combine flour, rest of sugar, and butter in food processor and process until clumpy.
9. Pour cranberry mixture into pie crust so they form a slight mound in the center.
10. Drop squished handfuls of topping on top.
11. Bake about 40 to 45 minutes until bubbly.
12. Allow to cool slightly but serve warm.
Cranberry Raspberry Gelatin Dessert
There is always room for this dessert no matter how much you ate for dinner.
1 – 3 ounce package cranberry flavored gelatin
1 – 3 ounce package raspberry flavored gelatin
1 – ½ cup boiling water
1 – 10 ounce package frozen raspberries
1 – 16 ounce can or 2 cups jellied cranberry sauce
1 – 7 ounce bottle lemon-lime carbonated beverage
1 carton non dairy whipped topping.
Directions:
1. In a large bowl dissolve gelatins in boiling water.
2. Stir in frozen raspberries making sure to break up large pieces.
3. Stir cranberry sauce into gelatin mixture and break up as much as you can with a fork.
4. Chill until practically set.
5. Carefully pour in lemon-lime beverage and stir gently. T
6. urn into a 6 cup mold and chill at least 5 to 6 hours or overnight.
7. Unmold and cut into servings. Serve with dollop of whipped topping. Makes about 8 to 10 servings.
