Using Cranberry Sauce to Make Dessert
Make Chocolate Caramel Cranberry Bars and Cranberry Cookies
Oct 31, 2009
Thanksgiving is a good time to make some yummy desserts that contain cranberries. The red sour fruit is extensively available at this season and the flavor of cranberries makes one think of autumn.
The Chocolate Caramel Cranberry Bars are a gooey and delicious treat to serve after dinner for those that might like an alternative to pumpkin pie. These will not last long and they aren’t very hard to make. They are made with cake mix and canned cranberry sauce so if you like them you can make them for Christmas since they have a red color. The cranberry sauce should be whole with whole berries not the jellied that comes out in the shape of a can.
Chocolate Caramel Cranberry Bars
Ingredients:
- 1 package German Chocolate Cake Mix
- 1/3 cup light cream
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 – 14 ounce package vanilla caramels, unwrapped
- 1/3 cup light cream
- 1 – 16 ounce can of whole cranberry sauce
- ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a mixer bowl combine cake mix, the first 1/3 cup cream, butter, and vanilla.
- Beat on medium until smooth and creamy.
- Pour half of this mixture into a greased 13x9x2 inch baking pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven.
- Meanwhile in a large heavy saucepan melt the unwrapped caramels over medium heat stirring occasionally.
- Once they are melted add the second 1/3 cup light cream and mix in well until smooth.
- Spread warm caramel over top then spoon cranberry sauce on top of that and smooth out.
- Take the remaining cake mixture and place spoonfuls over top.
- Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
- Bake for 30 more minutes then remove from oven and cool in the pan.
- Cut into 20 bars.
Cranberry Linser Cookies are another great dessert to serve at Thanksgiving or at Christmas. It is an adaptation of the Linzer Torte which originated in Linzer, Austria and is said to be the oldest kind of cake in the world. A recipe was discovered in a 300 year old cookbook. Linser Cookies are made by cutting out a whole cookie out of dough, placing currant or raspberry jelly over top. Another cookie is cut but the middle is cut out and placed on top of the jelly so it shows through like a jewel. Many people make these for Valentines day and the cookie is in the shape of a heart. Instead of using a red colored jelly you use cranberry sauce in this recipe.
Cranberry Linser Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup shortening
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 cups of flour + more to roll out cookies
- 1 – 16 ounce can cranberry sauce (jellied or whole)
Directions:
- In a mixer bowl cream the shortening and the sugar.
- Add eggs, vanilla and milk and beat on medium high for about 2 minutes.
- In a bowl combine salt, nutmeg, and 3 cups of four and stir gently to combine.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients beating well after each addition.
- Place the dough in wax paper and place in the refrigerator and chill overnight or at least 3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Take a portion of the dough and roll it out about ¼ inch thick on a floured surface. Keep the rest wrapped up in the refrigerator.
- Use a round cookie cutter to make the first type of cookie (a doughnut cutter without the hole in the middle works well to make these cookies).
- Place this whole cookie on a cookie sheet and place 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce in the center.
- Cut out another cookie and cut the center out (with the doughnut hole cutter) and place this cookie over top the other one making the cranberry sauce show through.
- Continue with the rest of the dough and place on cookie sheets about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies are lightly tan or golden.
- Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes then remove to cooling racks.
- You can sprinkle with powder sugar if you like.
Jellied cranberry sauce is a little hard to work with but it can be done. You can also use your own homemade cranberry sauce if you desire.
Many other desserts can be made with cranberries as can main dishes. These cranberry desserts will please your guests with the taste of the season. Make double batches because they will go fast.
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