Friday Recipes: Fresh Cranberry Recipes and Tips

Don't miss out on using fresh cranberries this holiday season! When purchasing, choose berries that are bright red in color and they shouldn't be soft. Fresh cranberries can be stored in the refrigerator without washing for up to 14 days and they can be frozen up to a year. Frozen cranberries should not be thawed before using in a recipe.

Cranberry Apple Pie

2 bought or homemade 9" pie crusts (one top, and one bottom)
8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Place the apple slices in the pie crust. Blend the cranberries in a blender and spoon over the apples. Mix sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and spoon over apples and cranberries. Place the top crust on the pie and cut slits in the crust. Brush the tops with a little milk. Bake in oven at 425° F for 50 minutes.

Cranberry Cake

1 egg
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (divided)
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (divided)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces fresh cranberries (2 cups)
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 375° F. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Beat the egg; then add 1/2 cup sugar, milk, oil, orange juice and extract; mix and set aside. Combine 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt; add to egg mixture and mix. Pour into the prepared pan. Chop the fresh cranberries in a blender or a food processor; spoon over batter. Mix the remaining 1/2 cup flour the 3 tablespoons sugar and cut in 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle over cranberries. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

Cranberry Yams

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal (not instant)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup butter
2 17-oz cans yams, drained
2 cup fresh cranberries

Combine flour, sugar, oatmeal and cinnamon. Cut in butter with fingers or a fork. Mix a cup of the oats mixture with yams and cranberries. Place in a sprayed or buttered baking dish. Top with the remaining oat mixture and bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Cranberry Waffles

2 cups buttermilk baking mix
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tbsp. shortening, melted
1 cup fresh cranberries

Place the fresh cranberries in a blender and process. Combine biscuit mix and sugar; stir in eggs and milk. Add the melted shortening, mixing well; fold in cranberries. Bake in a preheated waffle baker as directed.

Cranberry Stuffed Acorn Squash

2 medium acorn squash
1 apple, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 orange, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. honey

Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Combine the other ingredients, except the honey. Place the squash in a baking dish. Fill the squash halves with mixture. Drizzle the honey over squash. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes in a 400 degree F oven. Remove the foil and continue baking until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Serves 4

More recipes such as fresh cranberry sauce, relish and jelly can be found here.