Five Happy Things
Favorite Cranberry Recipes
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Friends, I LOVE cranberries.
I just can’t get enough of that puckery goodness!
Of course, this is the only time of year I can find fresh cranberries, so I tend to stock up and throw several extra bags in the freezer to enjoy all year long.
I make these Cranberry-Orange Breakfast Buns from Smitten Kitchen every year around the holidays.
(I’m not sure why I skipped the icing on this batch. I think I was out of powdered sugar?)
They’re tart from the cranberries and orange zest, sweet from the brown sugar used in the filling, yummy from the buttery yeast dough. So, so good!
You can make them the night before and bake them in the morning for fresh-out-of-the-oven awesomeness. They also freeze really well so you don’t have to bake a full dozen at a time. Just let them thaw overnight in the fridge and bake them in the morning.
One tip for you not included in the post. . . unless your kitchen knife is VERY sharp, it will have a tendency to squish the rolls out of shape when you cut them. Use a piece of dental floss instead. Slide it under the roll, bring the ends up and cross them over to tighten. Perfect spiral slices every time!
Here are just four more of my favorite cranberry recipes. . .
Pear Cranberry and Gingersnap Crumble - another winner from Smitten Kitchen. The mellow sweetness of the pears and the tartness of the berries and the warmth of the spicy gingersnap topping make this an insanely delicious dessert - especially when topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Cranberry Orange Sorbet - I love a good sorbet, the tarter the better. This is a recipe I developed to use some of those frozen cranberries in the summer, but it’s good in the winter in front of a roaring fire too.
Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries and Bacon - Cranberries aren’t just for desserts. They also add a nice zingy pop to earthy veggies like Brussels sprouts. This one uses dried berries, but I soak them in hot apple cider to plump them up a bit.
Cranberry Chutney - is a delicious alternative to your basic cranberry sauce. This one adds lots of spices, onion, some tart apples, sweet raisins, lots of orange zest and juice. It’s delicious on ham sandwiches and I also love to add a big dallop to this Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup. (I know it sounds weird, but give it a try. So good!)
If you have a favorite cranberry recipe, please share a link in the comments so everyone can give it a try!
You can find past newsletters with recipes here.
Enjoy!
Best,
Wendi
❤️
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Oooooh. I ADORE cranberries. I usually make my own cranorange sauce (or NPR's cranberry relish with horseradish - https://www.npr.org/2024/11/21/nx-s1-5191853/mama-stambergs-relish-faces-its-toughest-critics-npr-staffers), but have also taken to using leftovers of regular tart-sweet sauce to make a topping for cranberry cheesecake. I make a vegan version for my mom and I and we snarf that down. YUM. Thanks for collecting these recipes - I haven't even given it serious consideration as a savory dish since the NPR recipe - I'll need to branch out!!