CRANBERRY PIE, CRANBERRY SALAD & A CRANBERRY TREE!!

Please, Please check the top two items on the right side of my blog and lets help FEED AMERICA!
It is just a few clicks and a few minutes of your time to help others in this Holy Season!!!

CRANBERRY PIE

INGREDIENTS:
1 recipe Sour Cream Pie Crust-(below)
5 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 1/2 cups sugar (add up to another 1/2 cup if you like sweeter or decrease by 1/2 cup if you like tart)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
pinch of cloves
zest from one orange
4 teaspoons instant tapioca
2 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into small chunks

DIRECTIONS:
Place oven rack in the middle position. Place another rack beneath it with a cookie sheet to catch any drips. Preheat oven to 325°.
Prepare pie crust. While it is chilling, combine cranberries, sugar, walnuts, spices, zest, and tapioca in a bowl.
Roll out the crust and transfer it to your tart/pie pan. Pour the filling on top. It's ok if it looks like there's a little too much filling; the filling cooks down quite a bit. Dot the top of the tart with butter.
Bake for about one hour, until the crust is well-browned and the filling has cooked down and is bubbly. If the crust starts to brown before the filling is done, cover just the crust with a ring of aluminum foil.
Sprinkle top with sugar, if desired. Allow to cool and set completely before serving. This pie is excellent with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

SOUR CREAM CRUST

INGREDIENTS:
1 c. (2 sticks) (8 oz.) softened butter
1 c. sour cream
2 c. flour
1 egg white
sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Mix butter and sour cream into flour until thoroughly blended. Form into two discs and chill overnight or until firm.
Roll out one disc of chilled dough on a floured surface (for rolling out instructions, see below) but you don’t really need to use the parchment paper with this dough) to about 1/4 inch thick, and line 9″ pie pan with the crust. Brush inside of pie crust with beaten egg white.
Recipe from The Kitchen

ROLLING DOUGH!
This is the key – you roll it out, but between two sheets of parchment paper. (I’ve used plastic wrap too.) It should be big enough to contain a circle of approximately 12 inches in diameter when you’re done (or really, a big square off of most rolls of parchment paper). You put the hard disk between the sheets of parchment, and then you start to roll. The way to roll, is to only roll in one direction — away. Start in the middle and roll away. Then turn it about an eighth of a turn and roll away — start in the middle and roll away. Just one roll. Keep turning and rolling until you have a big flat circle. Now this is the part that always is the worst — moving it from nice flat counter into pie dish. I like to use a Pyrex glass pie dish. Now, peel off one sheet of the parchment, leaving the other on. Put the pie pan face down on the dough, turn it over, and with the parchment still on, press into the pie plate. Then carefully peel off the parchment. Feel free to patch up holes, and fold over the edges and crimp with your thumbs or with a fork

FRESH CRANBERRY SALAD

Tired of the gelatin based salads? Try this fresh cranberry salad instead. It is always a big hit at dinner!

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound cranberries
8 ounces miniature marshmallows
2 cups white sugar
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 banana, sliced
1 cup unsweetened whipped cream

DIRECTIONS:
In a food processor or blender, coarsely grind the cranberries. Place ground cranberries in a large bowl and stir in the marshmallows, sugar and pineapple. Let mixture stand overnight in the refrigerator. Just before serving, stir in the sliced banana and whipped cream.
Recipe from my daughter Cathy

CRANBERRY TREE

This cranberry tree can also be an air freshener.

This cranberry tree will make a lovely addition to your fall and winter holiday decorations. If you use the freshest cranberries, your cranberry tree will last up to two weeks or even longer. Stud it with whole cloves, and you also have an aromatic air freshener. This is a fun project for older children. Read through the instructions to catch the tips and hints before you begin.

You will need:
1 to 2 pounds of fresh cranberries (frozen will not work)
1/4 cup (about) whole cloves
Styrofoam cone (green cones recommended)
50 (about) round toothpicks, broken in half

Optional Sparkle Glaze:
1 egg white
1/4 cup (about) granulated white sugar

Instructions:
Begin placing cranberries next to each other about 1/4-inch from the base of the cone.

Push the sharp end of the half-toothpick about half way into the stem end of the cranberry. Reverse the toothpick so that the broken thick end goes into the hole you just made. Then push the sharp end into the styrofoam cone. Place the first cranberry in the second row in between two cranberries in the first row to facilitate full coverage of the cone.

Continue placing cranberries around the cone, ending with one large one at the top.

Using whole cloves, push the stem end in between the junctions of the cranberries into the styrofoam to fill in any blank spots.

Optional Sparkle Glaze:
Whisk egg white until frothy. Use a pastry brush to put a light glaze of egg-wash over the tips of the cranberries. Sprinkle the granulated sugar over the cranberry tree while egg-wash is still wet. Let dry.

Tips and Hints:
Be sure to use round toothpicks, not the flat ones. The flat toothpicks are not sturdy enough.
Use larger cranberries at the base and smaller ones at the top.
Cranberries vary in color. You can stagger them in random color patterns or place them from dark at the base up to light at the top for a designer touch.
Use the leftover cranberries in your favorite recipe or freeze to cook later.