Fresh cranberries can not be found any other time but October, November, and December. If you want to use cranberries in recipes any other time you have to use frozen cranberries or canned cranberry sauce. Another alternative is dried cranberries. The following recipes include both fresh cranberries and either cranberry sauce or dried cranberries so you can enjoy them at any time.
Cranberry Quick Bread
This bread is tart and has the added flavor of orange, a great compliment to cranberries.
- 3 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 to 1 – ½ tablespoons of orange rind, grated
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 – ½ cup sliced fresh cranberries or 1 cup of dried cranberries
- 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- In a mixing bowl combine orange rind, egg, milk, orange juice and butter.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
- Add cranberries and nuts by hand.
- Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool before slicing. Makes 1 loaf
Scones are a type of baking powder – like biscuit that has been made for centuries. They are easy to bake and taste delicious. Serve them for breakfast or along with dinner.
- 2 – ½ cups flour
- 2 – ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup butter (you can use margarine), cold
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped or ¾ cup dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon orange rind, grated
- 1 sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup buttermilk
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- In a bowl combine flour, baking powder and baking soda.
- Cut in butter with pastry blender or with two knives until the mixture resembles course meal. (like pie dough).
- Stir in cranberries, orange peel, sugar, and ginger.
- Stir in buttermilk.
- Once buttermilk is combined use your hands to knead the mixture and shape it into 2 – 8 inch circles about ½ thick.
- Cut each circle into 8 wedges and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until slightly brown. Makes 16 scones. Serve hot or cold.
These muffins are very easy to make and are very good. If you like cranberries you will love these muffins.
- 2 cups biscuit mix
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
- 1 cup whole cranberry sauce (that will be about ½ the can)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a bowl combine biscuit mix, sugar, ginger, milk, egg and butter. Mix well.
- Fold cranberry sauce into the batter.
- Gently fold in dried cranberries.
- Fill paper muffin cups about 2/3 full.
- Sprinkle with course sugar if desired.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes about 12 muffins.
