I can do better than canned cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving. Don’t get me wrong, I like canned cranberry sauce, but I love Mom’s cranberry jello. I’m also including cranberry recipes from Heidee, Marjie, and Marian. Their recipes were in the Do-able Dahlia Dishes cookbook that was published by the Central States Dahlia Society.
Cranberry Jello Mold
Compliments of Ardie Cichorski
1 pkg fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 large package raspberry jello
1 medium orange
1/2 cup walnuts in small pieces
Wash and sort cranberries, removing white ones. Place cranberries in pot. Add 1 cup sugar. Add water till just covered. Heat over high, removing from heat when the cranberries start popping. Add 2 cups boiling water to jello and mix. Reserve juice from cranberries. Add cranberries to jello and place in the mold. Cut orange up into small pieces. Add it and walnuts. Add enough of the reserved juice (about 1 – 1/2 cups) to fill the mold.
Cranberry Banana Mini Loaves
By Heidee Manrose, as published in Do’able Dahlia Dishes
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 medium)
2 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and mashed banana and mix well. Combine the flour and baking soda. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Fold in the nuts, chocolate chips, and cranberries or cherries.
Transfer the mixture into 4 greased 5 3/4 x 3 x 2 inch loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 32 – 37 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing the loaves from the bans to a wire rack.
Cranberry Pear Chutney
By Marjie Kaplan, as published in Do’able Dahlia Dishes
3 cups (1 package) fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
3 Bosc pears, peeled and cored
1 T lemon zest plus 1 T lemon juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried, pitted, dates – coarsely chopped
Combine the cranberries and the sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the berries release their juices (approximately 8 minutes). Do not let the berries scorch.
Cut the pears into 1/2 inch diced pieces and transfer to a bowl. Toss the pear pieces with the lemon zest and lemon juice.
Add the orange juice, raisins, and dates to the cranberries. Stir occasionally and add the pears when the mixture begins to bubble. Cook, stirring until the mixture thickens and pears turn red and are cooked through (approximately 10 minutes). Transfer the chutney to a bowl. Let in cool. Refrigerate.
Cranberry Pumpkin Bread
By Marian Landerholm, as published in Do’able Dahlia Dishes
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3 cups sugar
4 t pumpkin spice for pies
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
4 eggs
1 large can solid pack pumpkin (15 oz.)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (if frozen, thaw)
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
In another bowl, beat the eggs and then add the pumpkin and the oil. Stir into the dry ingredients just until everything is moistened. Fold in the cranberries and nuts.
Spoon the mixture into 2 greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 70 – 80 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing the loaves from the pans to a wire rack.
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