Tag Archives: cranberries

Cranberry Apple Shortbread Bars

An easy last minute dessert recipe for Thanksgiving. These cranberry apple shortbread bars are a delicious holiday treat.

Cranberry Apple Shortbread Bars - an easy last minute Thanksgiving dessert!

I love any excuse to use this shortbread recipe. It’s seriously buttery, slightly chewy and lightly crispy on the outside. Plus, the basic flavor lends itself to almost any type of filling. I’ve done Meyer Lemon Shorbread Bars, Blueberry Rhubarb Shortbread Bars and even adapted it into an Easy Lemon Shortbread Cookie. I kind of wish I didn’t love it so much because… well, so.much.butter., but I just can’t help myself.

For the holidays I thought it was time to break out the shortbread recipe and layer it with a seasonal fruit filling.   I’ve always loved apples and cranberries together and they work really well here. Both fruits are on the tart side so it isn’t a super sweet filling, but sometimes you actually want a dessert that doesn’t kill you with an overwhelming sensation of “hello, sugar.”

Cranberry Apple Shortbread Bars - need to make for Thanksgiving!

These bars were one of the last desserts I made pre-baby. After eating an entire row of them (whoops, that’s what 39 weeks plus will do to you), I froze the rest to save for the bris or baby visitors. They defrosted wonderfully and now I wish I had more!

Cranberry Apple Shortbread Bars -the filling/shortbread combo is so good

Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away but this recipe is easy enough to add in as a last minute treat. Make them tomorrow or Wednesday and they will be perfect for serving on Thursday. Just make sure they are stored in the pan and tightly wrapped with foil or removed and tightly wrapped that way.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Cranberry Apple Shortbread Bars
 
An easy last minute dessert recipe for Thanksgiving. These cranberry apple shortbread bars are a delicious holiday treat.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 24-30 servings
Ingredients
  • Dough
  • 530g (~4 cups) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 454g (2 cups) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 240g (1 ½ cups) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 200g (~1 cup) granulated sugar, separated
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) vanilla extract
  • Filling
  • 360g (4 cups) fresh cranberries (frozen will likely work, filling cooking time may differ)
  • 100g (~½ cup) granulated sugar
  • 59 milliliters (2 fluid ounces) water
  • 8g (1 tablespoon) cornstarch
  • 5g (1 teaspoon) minced ginger
  • 2g (1 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
  • 340g (~3 cups / 2 medium) chopped apples (I prefer to use a crisp apple like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Line a 13x9 baking pan with parchment paper so that some parchment paper hangs over sides and set aside
  3. Beat butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy; mix in vanilla until well-combined
  4. Stir in flour just until combined
  5. Press half of the dough into prepared baking pan and bake for about 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown; shape remaining dough into a disk and wrap tightly with seran wrap; chill in refrigerator
  6. While bottom layer is cooking, prepare filling
  7. Combine cranberries, granulated sugar, water, cornstarch, ginger and nutmeg in a heavy duty saucepan over medium heat; stir occasionally and let mixture cook until fruit has formed a thick jam-like consistency (cranberries will be very soft but some still whole), about 8 minutes
  8. Remove from heat and fold in chopped apples
  9. Pour fruit filling over crust; remove remainder of dough from refrigerator and use all of it by dropping large crumbs over fruit layer so that the layer is completely covered
  10. Place back into oven and bake for about 35 minutes or until edges are very lightly golden brown and top feels set / firm
  11. Set aside to cool before cutting into bars and serving
Notes
Shortbread recipe from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey
Filling adapted from Blueberry Rhubarb Shortbread Bars
These bars are not overly sweet at all, the sweetness is mostly in the shortbread and the fruit filling adds a tart balance
Store tightly wrapped at room temperature up to two days or freeze for up to one month

 

Cranberry Apple Shortbread Bars - so pretty for the holidays

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Cranberry Apple Pie and Pie Week Giveaway

This double crusted cranberry apple pie is full of a melt-in-your-mouth fruit filling and covered in flaky pastry dough.  Wow your Thanksgiving guests with this holiday pie.

Cranberry Apple Pie

Scroll to end of post for giveaway details.

After making my Fancy Holiday Chocolate Pecan Pie, I couldn’t wait to use my new pan again.  And since I knew I wanted this pie to be another showstopper, I decided it was time to overcome my fear of top-layer pie crust.  I had to go big or go home.

Cranberry Apple Pie

As I mentioned before, I am up to my ears in cranberries so it wasn’t hard to decide to use them in a pie.  I’ve had huge success with cranberries and apples before so I figured that  a cranberry apple pie would be perfect.   I used the same base dough as the pecan pie but went to Cooks Illustrated for the method of putting the pie together.  It gave me a lot more confidence in putting this dessert together to have very clearly laid out instructions.  And excuse me while I do pat myself on the back for a second because look at that gorgeous crust!

Cranberry Apple Pie

I’m almost sad that Pie Week is ending because I think I just got hooked on pies.

Cranberry Apple Pie
Have you checked out all of the amazing recipes?  Which ones will you be making for Thanksgiving?

Toasted Coconut Caramel Cream Pie – The Baker Chick

Chocolate Drizzled Pecan Pie Bites– Nutmeg Nanny

S’mores Hand Pies– Chocolate and Carrots

Pumpkin Coconut Pie– Dessert for Two

Chocolate Pudding Pie– Eats Well with Others

Cranberry Apple Pie– Keep it Sweet Desserts

Caramel Chess Tart- Bake or Break

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie with Chocolate Almond Bark- Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie– Dinners Dishes and Desserts

Smoked Salmon and Spinach Quiche– Country Cleaver

Apple Pie Ice Cream– Carla’s Confections

Triple Fruit Slab Pie– Foodie with Family

Cranberry Apple Pie and Pie Week Giveaway
 
This double crusted cranberry apple pie is full of a melt-in-your-mouth fruit filling and covered in flaky pastry dough. Wow your Thanksgiving guests with this holiday pie.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients
Cranberry Filling:
  • 4 ounces (~1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries)
  • 2 ounces (~1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
  • 1 fluid ounce fresh lemon juice (~1/2 lemon)
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 fluid ounce water
Apple Filling:
  • 1¾ pound (~3 – 4) granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
  • 1¾ ounces (~1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • ½ tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
Finishing:
  • 1 egg white at room temperature, lightly whisked
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
  1. Prepare pie crust according to recipe directions and chill dough until ready to use
  2. When ready to bake, place a baking sheet on the lowest rack of oven and pre-heat to 425 degrees
  3. Prepare cranberry filling; cook cranberries, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt in a small heavy duty saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally; cook for several minutes or until all cranberries have burst and filling is thick; remove from heat, stir in water, and set aside to cool
  4. Prepare cranberry filling; combine apples, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt in a large microwaveable bowl; cover with seran wrap and microwave for 6 minutes, stopping occasionally to stir; apples should be slightly softened and limp when done; set aside to cool
  5. Roll half of dough out in a long rectangle (at least 16 inches long and 7 inches wide), dough should be ~1/8 inch thick
  6. Carefully press dough into tart pan, tightly into corners and edges; cut off any crust that hangs over more than ½ inch; wrap in seran wrap and chill in refrigerator for thirty minutes
  7. Roll other half of dough out in a long rectangle (at least 16 inches long and 7 inches wide), dough should be ~1/8 inch thick; place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly cover with seran wrap; chill in refrigerator until ready for use
  8. Once fillings have cooled and pie crust has been chilled for allotted thirty minutes, put together pie; gently spread cranberry filling along bottom of crust; carefully top with apple filling
  9. Carefully top pie with remaining dough; use your fingers to pinch dough from both layers together around the edges
  10. Brush egg white over top layer of crust (you do not need to use all of it) and sprinkle with sugar; use a sharp knife to cut three or four openings into top layer of crust, about ½ inch each
  11. Place pie on baking sheet that has been in oven and bake on lowest rack for 30 minutes or until crust is a nice golden brown
  12. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 25 minutes or until filling is bubbling
  13. Set aside to cool before serving
  14. Pie can be stored tightly wrapped in foil at room temperature up to two days
Notes
Requires 1 13.75 x 4.25 tart pan (this inexpensive pan from Amazon does the job)
Pie adapted from Cooks Illustrated

 

Cranberry Apple Pie
And let me just say, we are ending Pie Week on a high here because I have ANOTHER extra special giveaway, this time from Kitchen Aid!


Thank you so much to Kitchen Aid for sponsoring this giveaway!
And if you haven’t entered them yet, there is still a chance to win a $500 Amazon gift certificate and a Cabot Cheese / King Arthur Flour package!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

This post contains affiliate links.

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Winter Fruit Crisp {Gluten-free}

I made this fruit crisp so long ago, I had to hunt through piles and piles of notes and butter-stained papers to find it.  Well, I guess Thanksgiving wasn’t that long ago, but right now it feels like a lifetime.

Winter Fruit Crisp {Gluten-free}

Fruit crisps are one of my favorite desserts.  I mean, anything that is served warm with ice cream is always good, but since there is fruit you can pretty much rationalize that it is healthy, too.  This version is a good compromise since it is made with oatmeal and oat flour.  Butter, sugar, what?  Just look at all that fruit!

Winter Fruit Crisp {Gluten-free}

I’ve actually been making a version of this for years but wanted to take out the gluten so that my sister could also enjoy it for the holiday.  Honestly, you don’t miss a thing.  I could not taste a difference and neither could any of our guests.

Winter Fruit Crisp {Gluten-free}

Winter Fruit Crisp {Gluten-free}
 
A warm and comforting winter dessert! This fruit crisp is full of apples, pears and cranberries.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12-18 servings
Ingredients
Topping:
  • 4 ounces (~1 cup) oat flour (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
  • 3⅜ ounces (~1 cup) old fashioned oatmeal
  • 5.5 ounces (~2/3 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup /  1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into small cubes
Filling:
  • 6 medium apples (preferably a combination of honey crisp and granny smith)
  • 3 large pears, any type (ripe but still firm)
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 5⅝ ounces (~3/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 1⅜ ounces (~1/3 cup) oat flour (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
  • ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (~1/2 lemon)
  • 3 ounces (6 tablespoons / ¾ stick) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9x13 or two 8-inch square baking dishes and set aside
  2. In a medium bowl, prepare topping; mix together oat flour, oatmeal and brown sugar
  3. Add butter and use fingers to combine until mixture is slightly lumpy; set aside
  4. Prepare filling; In a very large bowl, stir together fruit, granulated sugar, oat flour, cinnamon, lemon juice and butter
  5. Spread filling into prepared baking dish(es); sprinkle evenly with topping
  6. Bake for about 1 hour 20 minutes or until filling is bubbling, apples can be poked with a fork and topping is browned; if you see that topping has started to get to brown, lightly cover with tin foil for remainder of baking time
Notes
Adapted from Bon Appetit
*If serving to someone with a gluten allergy make sure your ingredients are labeled gluten-free
Best served warm with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.
The entire dish can be made ahead of time and kept in refrigerator until ready to bake; may require extra cooking time if cold

 

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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