Cooking with Cranberries

Today's post is by special request, just in time for Thanksgiving. Up until last year, I'd always had canned cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving dinner. I thought there was some huge secret to making cranberry sauce from scratch, because my mom never made any. The truth is, it's very simple to make, and the only reason Mom never made it is that we rarely ate turkey for Thanksgiving. So today, along with my recipe for cranberry sauce, I'll share a couple of other fun recipes for cranberries that'll be great for this holiday season.

Cranberry Sauce:
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
1 pkg. (12 oz.) fresh cranberries

Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, and add cranberries. Reduce heat and boil gently for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently and gently smashing the berries as they become ready to pop. Cover and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time. This sauce is great when made a day-ahead!

Cranberry Nut Bars:
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1/3 c. butter or margarine, melted
1 1/4 c. cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8" baking pan. Beat eggs in medium mixing bowl until thick and frothy. Gradually add sugar, beating until thoroughly blended. Add flour and melted butter; blend well. Using a wooden spoon, fold in cranberries and nuts just until combined. Spread evenly in pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool and cut into bars. Serves 16.

Cranberry Apple Bread:
from the Ocean Spray Homepage
2 cups peeled, chopped apple
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons oil
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan.

Combine apples, sugar and oil in a medium mixing bowl. Add egg, mixing well. Combine dry ingredients in a separate mixing bowl. Add to apple mixture, mixing just until the dry ingredients are moist. Stir in cranberries and walnuts.

Spread batter evenly in loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Makes 1 loaf.

Holiday Cooking Tip #1--Gravy and Apple Pie with Ultra Gel

Thanksgiving is next week! I can hardly believe it's so close. My parents are paying for my husband, son and me to come visit them in Oregon, and we're all very excited. It's always fun to get involved in all the holiday cooking. I took a foods class at BYU just before I graduated, and I think that of all the classes I took, that one has been one of the most useful. My teacher was Janet Stocks, and she and her family are the creators of Ultra Gel, an instant food starch.

Here are a couple of the benefits of using Ultra Gel:
1. It's instant--you just mix it in with whatever needs to be thickened, and voila, it's done. Not like regular cornstarch, where you have to heat it to boiling before it'll thicken things.
2. It doesn't clump. Add it to hot things, cold things, whatever--no mixing rouxs or slurries.
3. Doesn't congeal or separate in the fridge. Your left-over gravy will look just like it did when you put it away--like sauce, not like something the cat threw up.
4. Improves texture of baked goods and reduced calorie soups, sauces, and salad dressings. It makes baked goods fluffier and soups and sauces creamier.

They have lots of recipes on their website, and an additional book of recipes that you can purchase for $9.

Here are two of my favorite recipes using Ultra Gel:

Gravy:
1 14-oz. can chicken or beef broth
1-2 t. bouillon granules (opt.)
1/3 c. Ultra Gel

Add bouillon to broth and heat in microwave or on range to dissolve. Gradually add Ultra Gel, stirring constantly with wire whisk. Heat to serving temperature, season to taste, and serve.

Apple Pie:
6 c. peeled apples sliced 1/4" thick
1 pkg. spiced cider mix (makes 1 cup)
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. Ultra Gel
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 c. water

Blanch apples by placing in microwave safe bowl, covering with waxed paper, and microwaving on high for 10 minutes, stirring once.
Combine cider mix, sugar, Ultra Gel, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gradually add water, stirring constantly with wire whisk. Fold into prepared apples.
For apple cream pie, turn prepared filling into baked 9" pie crust and chill. Top with sweetened whipped cream.
For baked apple pie, turn prepared filling into unbaked 9" pie crust. Cover with aditional 9" pie crust, pricking as desired. Bake at 400 F for 35-40 minutes.