Cranberry Fool October 12, 2012
Posted by nrhatch in Food & Drink, Humor, Vegetarian Recipes.Tags: Apple Crisp, Cranberries, Cranberry Sauce, Marmalade, Recipes
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When I’m in the right frame of mind, I love to cook.
I tend to strike while the oven is hot without worrying overmuch about whether all necessary ingredients are in residence in sufficient quantities.
Often, they are not.
That’s where the fun of cooking comes in . . . the art of making do with what we have where we are. No shopping required.
Now, I will be the first to admit that you cannot make Apple Crisp without tossing apples into the mix.
But what if you have a few apples fast approaching their useful expiration date AND some cranberries that have out-stayed their welcome ~ might they pair well together?
Yes! Apple Cranberry Crisp . . . a delicious fall dish.
As I peeled and sliced the apples, I realized I had no lemon juice in the house. Not a drop. Undeterred, I reached for the orange marmalade and coated the apples with a few tablespoons of the pectin laced preserves.
The marmalade worked its magic to keep the sliced apple from turning brown before heading into the oven.
While the Apple Cranberry Crisp baked, permeating the villa with delicious aromas, I pondered what to do with the other bag of cranberries that had been loitering about the freezer for far too long.
I decided to search the data banks over at Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide and found just the thing . . . Cranberry Sauce made in the oven!
I had most of the ingredients on hand in the correct quantity:
Cranberries ~ check
Sugar ~ check
Orange juice ~ check
Orange zest ~ check
Brandy ~ nope, not a drop of brandy to be found.
I know, I checked.
Call me a Cranberry Fool if you will . . .
I substituted Maple Mist ~ a maple liqueur which is a more potent potable than its next-of-kin, maple syrup.
Best. Cranberry. Sauce. EVER. Thanks, Greg!
The Apple Cranberry Crisp wasn’t half bad either . . . but it is half eaten:
Aah . . . that’s better!
Related recipes: Cranberry Fool (Taste of Home) * Cranberry Fool (Neo Homesteading) * Christmas Cranberry Fool (One Big Bite) ~ a “fool” is a dessert made by folding pureed fruit (here, cranberry sauce) into whipped cream.
O-M-G I just made this last night!! NO JOKE!!! I was going to make just apple crisp but decided to add some cranberries for the hell of it! We were on that same wave length….
Synch!
What did you think? We enjoyed the contrast between the apples and the cranberries . . . and loved the rosy hue.
Loved it and it was still warm when we were ready to have it after dinner! Add alittle whipped cream…delicious!
We topped our with ice cream which contrasted with the warm crisp. Yum . . .
I love apple and cranberry crisp, adds just a tad of tart to the sweetness.
I’ve never made it before because I don’t often have cranberries in residence . . . wonderful pairing with the apples.
The apple cranberry crisp looks delicious. SomeBODY in our house would have to pour cream over it while it was still warm.
We scooped ice cream over it . . . while it was still warm.
Apples and cranberries complement each other….those look delicious. But what really caught my eye was…maple mist (!!!) …never heard of it, gotta get it!
I received it as a gift, Kathy. I believe my sister bought it in Vermont. It’s wonderful with fall desserts . . . like apple, pumpkin, and pecan pie.
Love your zest and vigor.
Now I’m hungry through my eyes, and ears. : )
Thanks, WWS! I have to limit my exposure to food blogs for just that reason ~ they are delicious food for the eyes, but they make me HUNGRY.
It’s a good feeling. It get’s me started cooking. : ) Your humor and delight, even better. : )
I read that the Pilgrims had wild cranberries around but did not know how to prepare them. I don’t know if it is true. I like the apple stuff better anyway.
Interesting, Carl. I’ve heard of wild blueberries, blackberries, and huckleberries, but never wild cranberries. Make sense though.
I ws only recently introduced to cranberries, but that was out of curiosity as to what the sauce with turkeys was all about. Liked it.
Did you have smooth jelly cranberry sauce or whole berries sauce? As a kid, I refused to eat LUMPY whole berries and insisted on the smooth jelly that came out of the can with a slow motion jiggle.
Lumpy!
Greg & Katharine’s recipe makes a delicious lumpy sauce . . . no stirring required. Just bake, mash, chill and ENJOY!
I love the tartness of cranberries and find that they brighten up a dish.
Yes, bright! Tonight we had some of the cranberry orange sauce as a relish on the side. Tasted great with the rice pilaf and broccoli.
Yum, Yum, Yum, Nancy! I love your attitude about cooking. I knew you and I would get along very well when you said, “When I’m in the right frame of mind, I love to cook.” I subscribe to so many beautiful cooking blogs because I really enjoy them, and I want to be prepared for “when I’m in that right frame of mind.” LOL!
I expect that you and I would get along famously, Debra! When I’m in the right frame of mind, I enjoy tinkering around with recipes ~ using them as a basic pattern while giving them nips and tucks here and there until they suit us to a “T.” And when I cook something that freezes well, I always cook a FULL pot . . . to stock the freezer.
I made an apple/cranberry crisp two Thanskgivings ago and I loved the tartness of it. Now you’re enticing me to make another one but I’ll have to buy cranberries first. Looks yummy!
Oh, and I so want to try freezer jams!
‘Tis the season to buy cranberries
Fa La La La La La La La La
This cranberry sauce is a winner as a “jam” or spread for toast, biscuits, muffins. And it sets up beautifully.
I think I’m the cranberry lover in the house, so I’ll try that in a few weeks when I buy my first cranberries.
We spread some tonight on whole wheat biscuits ~ definitely a winner. Enjoy!
They make cranapple juice, so it makes sense that you could add cranberries to an apple crisp. (Looked wonderful, by the way.) Maybe you shouldn’t have downed all the brandy making the cranberry apple crisp
Yay! I’ve been waiting for someone to comment on the “missing” brandy!
Now THAT is more my style!
Although I’d use rhubarb rather than cranberries I think.
Looks delicious!
It’s been ages since I’ve had rhubarb in residence . . . but I do enjoy it. Rhubarb would be perfect paired with apples in a crisp.
Have you thought of publishing all these recipies as a cook book?
I can’t say that I have, William. I enjoy sharing thoughts, ideas, links, videos, recipes, etc., here on SLTW but I haven’t given serious consideration to other forms of publication. This suits me better (and is much less work).
Wow. I just bought a bottle maple liquor at Manchester NH airport. Yummmm. Can’t wait to try it tonight in California. Thanks for the heads up.
Cool! Enjoy your taste of New England.