Tag: Cranberry Desserts

Desserts

Cranberry Cheesecake With Cranberry Orange Sauce

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What a great time of year, when there is nothing better than sitting inside, watching the cold fronts come in all the while, looking through magazines to find new recipes that just seem like you have to jump up and make them right then. This cheesecake will be sitting on our dessert buffet table this season.

Crust:

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teas salt

1/4 teas baking powder

10 tables cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk

Pam Vegetable Spray

Filling:

1 lb fresh cranberries

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup frozen raspberries

2 tables cornstarch

3 table orange liqueur (or orange juice concentrate)

2 1/2 table coarsely chopped lemon zest

1/4 teas kosher salt

Cheesecake:

3 ( 8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened to room temp

2 (8 oz) containers mascarpone cheese or sour cream

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 teas kosher salt

5 large eggs

2 tables vanilla extract

Parchment paper

Sauce:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 teas lemon juice

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350. Pulse first 4 ingredients in a food processor until blended. Gradually add cold butter and pulse after each addition to combine. With processor running, add egg yolk through food chute and process until combined. Press mixture onto bottom and up sides of a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 9″ spring form pan. Chill 10 minutes. Bake 10-12 min or until golden brown; cool In pan on a wire rack 30 min.

Prepare filling:

Bring cranberries and next 7 ingredients to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring often 2 min or until cranberry skins begin to split and mixture thickens. Let mixture stand 30 min. Reserve 1/2 cup cranberry mixture for sauce. Spread remaining mixture on to prepared crust. Set aside.

Reduce oven temp to 325. Beat cream cheese and next 3 ingredients at medium-low speed with mixer in a large bowl, just until well blended. Do not over mix. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating at low speed just until yolk disappears after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Pour cream cheese mixture over cranberry mixture in crust. Smooth top of batter to level. Place cheesecake on a parchment -paper lined baking sheet.

Bake at 325 for 1 hr and 10 min or until center of cheesecake jiggles. Turn oven off. Do not open oven door. Let cheesecake sit in closed oven for 30 min.

While sitting in oven for the 30 min, prepare sauce:

Process 1/4 granulated sugar and next 2 ingredients, reserved 1/2 cup cranberry mixture and 1/4 cup water in a blender until smooth. Pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl. Discard solids. Cover sauce and chill until ready to use (up to 1 week).

Remove cheesecake from oven and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. Do not remove side of pan. Cool completely on a wire rack about 2 hours. Cover and chill 8 to 12 hours before serving. Serve with chilled sauce over each piece.

Taken from November 2014 Southern Living magazine.

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Pumpkin Cranberry Cheesecake

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Quite a few years ago, at a bookstore in Dallas, there was this little paperback titled, “Holiday Celebrations Cookbook” on a table for $1.00. I bought all they had. I’ve given all of them away except I kept one as the recipes in it are really so good and some of them very unusual. This one caught my eye and I have made it to serve during the holidays. It gets great reviews, so here is the recipe.

Crust

1 1/2 cups vanilla wafers, crushed (about 33 wafers)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 finely ground pecans

1/4 cup melted butter

Filling

1 (8 oz) softened cream cheese

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 teas lemon juice

1 teas ground cinnamon

1 teas vanilla

1/2 teas ground nutmeg

1 (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed

Cranberry Sauce

1 1/2 cups whole cranberries

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

2 teas cornstarch

Toss vanilla wafer crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, pecans and melted butter in a large mixing bowl. Press mixture into bottom and 2″ up sides of an 8″ spring form pan.

Bake in preheated 350 oven for 5 minutes. Cool on wire rack. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, pumpkin, 1/2 cup sugar, the brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. After ingredients are well blended, Fold in Cool Whip. Turn mixture into cooled crust and chill for 4 hours. Combine cranberries, water, 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Cook until mixture boils, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Cool to room temperature, then chill. Spoon over cheesecake. Garnish servings with additional whipped cream.

Cakes · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare

Cranberry Cupcakes

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What a novel idea. Why had I not thought of these? When I opened the new Food Network Magazine, there they were. So simple and what a great dessert to serve through the holidays. Use them with a pretty little Thanksgiving pick and then place the name cards in front of the pick to welcome your guests to the table. Ditto for Christmas, changing the picks to Christmas.

Serves 12

For the cupcakes:

 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teas baking powder

1/2 teas salt

1/4 teas baking soda

1/8 to 1/4 teas freshly grated nutmeg (Or use ground if that is all you have)

6 tables unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg, at room temp

1 teas vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce

Frosting:

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temp

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup canned whole-berry cranberry sauce

1/2 teas vanilla

Pinch of salt

Dried cranberries to top cupcakes

To make the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer until creamy, about 2 minutes.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 3 more minutes.

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add the flour mixture; beat until just incorporated, about 1 minute.  Add the sour cream and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.

Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Let sit until cool enough to handle, then gently press the back of a small spoon (or if you have ordered a Thumbie from me, it makes it so easy) to make a small indention. Fill each indention with a teaspoon or 2 of the whole cranberry sauce. Remove the cupcakes to a rack to cool completely.

For frosting, beat the butter with1 cup of the powdered sugar in a large bowl until combined, about 2 mins. Reduce the mixer speed and add the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar and beat until all butter is incorporated and the mixture is fluffy. Beat in the 1/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce and vanilla and salt until combined. Spread the frosting on the cupcakes and top with dried cranberries, if desired.