Thanksgiving, Part II: Homemade Cranberry Sauce

As a kid, I never really liked cranberry sauce.  This was most likely due to the gelatinous nature, but also partly due to the fact that my mom hated it and my dad loved it.  As a kid, I aligned with my mom's food preferences and readily abhorred my dad's (vienna sausages, need I say more?)

I can't exactly remember why I decided to make cranberry sauce from scratch a few years back, but it was most likely because I'm a food snob and like to make it all from scratch.  Also, the gelatinous stuff in the can just really gives me the heebie-geebies.  Anyhoo, it is ridiculously easy to make and MUCH better homemade (I find the canned stuff granular).  And most people seem impressed when they find out your cranberry sauce is homemade, though some will roll their eyes.  I just prefer the texture and hint of citrus.

Cranberry Sauce

• 1 - 12 oz package fresh cranberries
• 1 cup orange juice (I prefer pulp free)
• 1 cup white granulated sugar

In a medium sized  saucepan, combine orange juice and sugar.  Bring to a boil.  Add cranberries. (I usually go through the package of cranberries and pull out any that are not firm or are discolored.)  Reduce heat and let the cranberries boil gently for approximately 10 minutes.  The cranberries will begin to pop and the mixture will thicken considerably.

Let the mixture cool to room temperature then refrigerate until ready to serve OR, if you do not want the remnants of the berry skin, you can pour the sauce through a mesh sieve, pushing firmly against the mesh to extract the most sauce and then refrigerate.

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

I spent my first year in college living on burritos and salads; the cafeteria is awful. Horrible. Gross. I feel sorry for students who live on campus all four years. The cafeteria screwed up most foods... except cookies. Their cookies were decent. One particular type was actually delicious. They had cranberry and white chocolate chips and were amazing. Recently, hubby and I went to a lecture on campus where they were serving refreshments, including those cookies. Hubby was quite the fan as well. So I decided I'd try to make them myself.

I scanned a few cookie recipes and found they're all very similar for what I want. I just sort of winged it from there..


Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

• 3/4 cup flour, room temp
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix into wet mixture.

Stir in cranberries and chips. Drop rounded tablespoons on cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes, until edges start to brown (slightly).

Cranberry-Orange Pinwheels

This is another cookie I've made two years in a row. I love the combination of the cranberry, orange, and pecan that goes into this gorgeous swirls. They also stay firm, yet soft, which is great because I hate cookies that harden.


Cranberry-Orange Pinwheels
(Better Homes and Gardens, pg 256)
1 cup cranberries
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 tsp finely shredded orange peel
3 1/4 cup flour

For filling, in a food processor combine cranberries, pecans, and brown sugar. Cover and process until cranberries and pecans are finely chopped. Set filling aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with a mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add eggs and orange peel; beat until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in the remaining flour. Divide dough in half; cover and chill about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Between waxed paper, roll half of the dough into a 10 inch square. Spread half of the filling over dough to within ½ inch of edges; roll up dough. Moisten edges; pinch to seal. Wrap in plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Chill for 4 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 375F. Cut rolls into ¼ inch slices. Place slices 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are light brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack and let cook.