Cranberry Pie

Please visit Weekend Cooking and join in if you wish.

I clipped this recipe from a magazine - Yankee, I believe - and it comes from a book called, Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly by Joan E. Aller. The pie is so, so delicious. Tom and I and Margaret finished off the whole thing in an evening. Yes, it's that good! My apologies to those of you who are trying to help me get over my fear of piecrust baking. I promise I will try it someday. For this crust I used a frozen one from a fantastic company. It was excellent. I could have eaten just the crust with nothing inside.

Cranberry Pie

1 9-inch piecrust
1 1/2 cups cranberries (recipe called for fresh; I used frozen)
1 cup sugar
1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 egg white (I gave the yoke to our dog, Sadie)
1 cup heavy whipping cream (not whipped up)

Preheat oven to 425º F.
Roll out piecrust and arrange in a 9-inch pie pan.
Pour cranberries into crust to form a thick layer.
In a medium bowl, sift together 2/3 cup sugar and the flour.
In a separate bowl, beat egg white until stiff peaks form, and then fold into the sugar/flour mixture.
Slowly stir in cream until combined.
Cover the cranberries with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar.
Pour cream mixture over the top.
Bake for 10 minutes, and then turn heat down to 350º F. and bake for about 40 minutes longer. (Mine took longer than this - just keep an eye on it after 40 minutes)

This is very quick and easy to make, and such a great treat!

Cranberry Cake

Please go visit Beth Fish Reads for more great weekend cooking!

Doesn't this look delicious?! I read the recipe on an email cooking list nine years ago, and this is the first time I've made it. I wish I hadn't waited so long. It is divine. It is perfect.

Cranberry Cake with Orange Whipped Cream Icing

1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped cranberries

Preheat oven to 375º F.

Beat butter and 1 cup sugar in mixer.
Add eggs and beat well.
Add orange peel and juice.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt and add to butter mixture alternately with milk.
Chop the cranberries and stir 1/2 cup into batter.

Pour batter into greased bundt pan.
Mix other 1/2 cup cranberries with the 2 tablespoons sugar, and sprinkle on top of batter.

Note: the recipe called for a 9-inch springform pan which I didn't have, so I used a bundt pan. It worked great. When I turned it out after cooling, I flipped it back over so the top with the cranberries showed.

Bake 40 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Cool pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan. When cool, top with orange whipped cream.

Orange Whipped Cream.

1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice

Beat together and frost the cake.

Note: the original recipe called for orange flavored liqueur in the whipped cream, but I don't like an alcohol taste in anything but a cocktail :<) so I used orange juice instead.

Margaret's Spinach Artichoke Dip

Please visit here for more Weekend Cooking.

Tom and Margaret share a great love of artichoke hearts and cheese so she quite often makes this dish for them to share. Though this is called a 'dip' it really could be considered a casserole. Tom says he can't eat too much of it because it is so rich, but I've noticed he does.

Margaret's Spinach Artichoke Dip

Put the contents of three cans of artichoke hearts through the food processor.

Cook two 10-ounce packages of frozen spinach. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine with artichoke hearts.

Add 1/2 cup mayonnaise.

Add 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese and stir well.

Place in a greased 9 x 13 pan.

Top with grated cheddar, parmesan, or shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake in preheated 350ºF. oven for at least 25 minutes.

You may then put it under the broiler for a bit to brown up the top.

She made some this week, but it is all gone, and I'm sorry to say I don't have any pictures.