Butternut, Apple, Cranberry Bake

This might be my last cranberry related post unless something amazing comes up by the holidays.

We made this baked dish for thanksgiving and it was a hit!  We have just a bit of squash this year (about several hundred pounds) so we are searching for many ways to make and eat it.

Ingredients
1 Butternut squash, peeled, sliced 1/8 inch
3 apples, sliced 1/8 inch
1 c. whole cranberries

Topping:
2 Tbs flour
4 Tbs butter, chilled and cubed
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp mace

Preheat oven to 375.
Arrange sliced veggies in a baking dish.  Mix the topping in a food processor or use knives to cut into a course texture.  Sprinkle over apples and butternut and bake covered for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake another 20 minutes or until desired consistency.

I forgot to take a picture post baking but it is pretty before and after it come out of the oven.

I wish you enough!  Happy Holidays!

Mini Cranberry Brie Puffs

Here is another cranberry favorite this year, I mean what could be bad about melted brie topped with cranberry sauce in a tiny puff pastry square ?!?

I made homemade cranberry sauce because I bought 5 bags this year but you could easily use the canned whole berry sauce.

My cranberry sauce:
1 c. water
1 c. sugar
12 oz. bag of cranberries
2 1-inch pieces of orange peel
1 cinnamon stick

Bring water to boil over high heat, add sugar and stir until dissolved.  Stir in cranberries and return to boil.  Turn heat to low and boil gently, stirring occasionally until the cranberries have popped and the sauce is thick.  This should take about 10 minutes.  Transfer to bowl, remove orange peel and cinnamon stick, and refrigerate until ready to serve.  This can be made up to 1 week before you need it, and tastes much better if made at least a day or two before.

So to make the little cranberry puffs...  servings 18:

1 box of 2 sheets of puff pastry
14 oz whole berry cranberry sauce
1 triangle of good brie, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Heat oven to 375.  Spray a mini muffin tin with oil, or if you have time butter wouldn't taste bad, just sayin'.

Defrost and roll out puff pastry.  Cut each sheet into 9 square pieces.  Line each mini muffin hole with puff pastry folding in the sides as needed.  Place brie piece into puff pastry and top with 1/2 tablespoon of cranberry sauce.  You can use more or less sauce as your taste or pan sees fit.

Bake for 10-20 minutes depending on oven and how crispy you would like your puffs to be.  Keep an eye on them after 10 minutes.  They are done when golden brown.

Make sure you eat these things warm, they are super yummy.  We had 8 left over so I froze them and they do well frozen too!

I wish you enough!

Cranberry Drinks, Appetizers and Sides

'Tis the season for cranberry dishes and I am going all out this year.  This is a snippet of what has been going on in my kitchen.

I'll start with this drink that would loosen you up a bit to have more fun in the kitchen.

For the link to the original recipe click here.


Cranberry Daiquiri
(6 servings)
Dissolve 1/2 cup sugar in 1/2 cup water in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 cinnamon stick and 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel; bring to boil. Mix in 1/2 cup cranberries and cook until cranberries begin to pop. 




















Cool; discard cinnamon. Pour mixture into jar; add 1/2 cup light rum. Chill. 

Strain syrup into pitcher; reserve cranberries. 

Add 6 tablespoons each dark rum, light rum, cranberry juice, and lemon juice to pitcher. Chill. Serve in Martini glasses that have been filled with crushed ice. Garnish with reserved cranberries.

Coming up:
Cranberry Brie Bites
Cranberry Butternut Apple Bake

 I wish you enough!